Dreamcatcher
by ocdmess
Summary: Bella can't escape her gift, she's stuck seeing the inner workings of people's minds as she visit their dreams at night. Nobody knows her secret, until her family moves back to Forks and a whole new world opens up to her.
1. Preface

**A/N:** This is my first serious attempt on writing a fanfic. The storyline is something I've been playing around with for a couple of years now, but never really gotten anywhere with. The characters were always the ones screwing it up for me. Then I tried to adapt it to the world of Twilight, and suddenly; it worked.

Needless to say; this story is Alternate Universe, Out of Character and All human… although some of them do have some special abilities.

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**Language: _This story is an un-beta'ed mess. English is not my first language, and this was (like I said) my first attempt at writing fanfiction (or something "serious" in english for that matter), so the writing is far from good. But I hope you can try to see past that and enjoy the story I wanted to tell. Thank you_**

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_**Summary:**_

Bella can't escape her gift, she's stuck seeing the inner workings of people's minds as she visit their dreams at night. Nobody knows her secret, until her family moves back to Forks and a whole new world opens up to her.

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**DREAMCATCHER**

_**Preface**_

"_**Sleeping is no mean art; for its sake one must stay awake all day"**_ ~Friedrich Nietzsch

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One night of peaceful sleep, was that too much to ask for? Yeah, obviously it was.

Because here I was, once again trapped in my brothers dream. But fortunately this dream wasn't that bad. In this dream I found myself sitting on the bleachers during a football game, and it didn't take long for me to spot my brother. He was running on the football field with the ball in his arms. Nobody was able to catch him. When he managed to do a touchdown, without even breaking a sweat and nobody near taking him down, the entire audience started booing. He looked up surprised, wondering what the hell was wrong. I half smiled to myself. Because I knew what was wrong. He had run towards the wrong goal. Scoring a point to the opposite team. So no wonder nobody cheered for him.

And yeah, I guess it was pretty bad when I claimed this to be a good dream. But I guess I meant it was a good dream _for me._ Usually his dreams consisted on him being in bed – or in his car, or in a pool… or yeah, you get the picture – with random girls. Once he even dreamed about his teacher. Yeah, his teacher might just be barely pushing thirty, but still. _Gross_!

It didn't matter who the girl was, it was still painfully disgusting for me to be forced to witness his sick fantasies. And it wasn't like there was anything I could do about it. I couldn't force myself out of a dream. I had to watch it play out.

_Because I was a Dreamcatcher._


	2. So it begins

**A/N:** So it begins indeed. Please read and review. :-)

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 1 – "So it begins…"**

"_**Night has brought to those who sleep, only dreams they can not keep"**_ ~ Enya

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I was thirteen when my parents made us move from our home in Forks, Washington. They claimed that my dad, Charlie, had gotten a job in Jacksonville, Florida, which he just couldn't say no to, and therefore we were all forced to move. But I had my doubts on whether or not that was true. If that really was the reason for us leaving.

It couldn't possible have anything to do with the fight; I overheard my mom having with my grandmother just a few weeks prior to our move? The fight about _me_. And by strange ability; if you could call it that.

I've been visiting other people's dreams for as long as I can remember. And by now, I had seen it all. The first dream I remember walking in on was my old neighbors'. I was five years old at the time, and needless to say I was confused when I woke up. Not really understanding, or able to grasp, the dream at all, as I watched my neighbor kill her own husband. Needless to say; I never got to watch other than cartoons on TV after that. My mom freaked when I told her about the dream, thinking that the TV was to blame.

It wasn't until I was ten years old that I realized something was off about me. That I wasn't like everybody else.

I had been hanging out with my best friend at the time, Jessica, and we were talking about dreams. She told me about a few she had had, and I got a feeling of déjà vu after she had described each and every one of her dreams. Why did I get a feeling of déjà vu? Well, because I had visited each and every one of them.

I didn't tell her this, of course not.

Instead I began to keep a journal. I put down every dream I visited on paper, and then I casually asked people what they had dreamt – I used the excuse of being interested in dream interpretation, and therefore my friends gladly told me about their dreams. And even though both my parents thought I was being ridiculous, they still humored me and told me about their dreams.

I kept my secret for three years, and then when I was thirteen I made the mistake of telling my mother about why I was so interested in dreams. I thought she would understand; I thought it might be genetic, since my grandma got so excited one day when I asked her about her dreams when she was visiting us. But when I told my mother she got furious, she told me to quit this nonsense and that dreams meant nothing. And that it was impossible to visit other people's dreams, and that I was being ridiculous. My grandma tried to reason with my mother, and I overheard them fighting one night, when they thought I was asleep.

"_She's a born Dreamcatcher, she can't run away from a responsibility like that," _my grandma had said, which had made my mother go into a frenzy. I don't think I've ever heard my mother yell like the way she yelled at my grandma after that.

And just a couple of weeks later, we were moving. And my parents used the excuse about my dad getting a better job. So we left Forks, and my grandma, behind. And we never spoke about dreams ever again.

But I, of course, couldn't drop it like that. My ability was still there. And there was nothing I could do about it. But now I knew better than to talk to anyone about it. I didn't even ask people about their dreams anymore, I didn't need any confirmation on my ability. I knew I caught other peoples dreams, and watching them play out. I didn't need anyone to tell me that. I already knew.

My grandma's words haunted me every day. Especially one word stuck with me.

_Dreamcatcher._

I never really understood what that mean, and I had no one to ask. So I tried to ignore it and just accept my fate. Even if I didn't understand it. And it didn't take me long to realize I was never going to have a dream that was just mine. Purely and exclusively mine.

Except for the dreams about the white fog… but that hardly counted. Because that was all it was too it.

White fog.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Now I was seventeen. And I was about to begin my junior year of High School. Or rather, I was supposed to begin my junior year over a week ago in Jacksonville. But instead I found myself in the backseat of my dad's Mercedes, driving us cross-country back to Forks.

My grandma was sick, very sick. And the doctors didn't think she had so much time left, so that forced my parents to accept the fact that they couldn't run away anymore. So dad quit his job, and we moved back to Forks. My mom had thrown a fit, in her usual manner. She didn't want to go back to Forks. And I couldn't understand why; it couldn't only be about my ability. She asked dad to let us stay in Jacksonville, that only he would leave for Forks. But for the first time ever, he put his foot down and said that he wasn't going to leave without us. And we were not going to let his mother die alone.

My mom reluctantly agreed – after a two hour fight between them – and now were on our way back _home_. I couldn't wait to get back. I wondered if Jessica still lived there, and all my other friends.

I hadn't seen, or heard from, any of them for four years. I wondered if they still knew I even existed. It was my own damn fault that I hadn't kept in touch with any of them when we moved. Maybe I thought that a clean break was for the best.

I felt myself slid on the warm leather seat, when the car took a turn to the left. I squeezed my eyes shut, in an effort to continue sleeping. There wasn't often, if ever, that I could sleep relatively dreamless. So I valued those rare times. During those dreamless states I always found myself in the white fog. And there was no place more relaxing and comforting than the white fog. And I tried to keep myself there for as long as I could, before I had to wake up, or before I found myself being thrown into someone's unoriginal and uninteresting dream.

Therefore I was more than irritated and frustrated when dad chose to drive like he was in the middle of a grand theft auto, when we travelled on the serpentine-looking road, which was surrounded by an unnatural thick forest.

I yawned and rested my head against the headrest, ready to meet my white fog again. But of course I wasn't that lucky – because dad took another narrow curve in too high speed, and I was sliding once again on the seat. I opened my eyes and sighed, it wasn't even worth the bother anymore.

I rested my cheek against the cold car window, and looked up against the sky. It was a crystal-clear night, and the night sky almost looked unnatural with its thousands upon thousands of shining stars, and shining half moon. And the few clouds that were there had an almost golden contour, making the sky look magical.

At least there was one thing that was perfect in this world.

"Are you alive back there?"

Mom turned in the front seat and looked at my brother, who was sitting next to me, and then at me. I didn't bother meeting her gaze; instead I focused on that perfect night sky.

"Are we there yet?" my brother, Phil, asked, sounding beyond bored.

"In thirty minutes, give or take," my dad replied.

"About god damn time," Phil sighed and slumped down in his seat.

I threw a glance at him. His face was softly illuminated by the light from the display of his cell phone. He was probably texting all his friends in Jacksonville – or maybe his old ones in Forks. My brother was a lot of things – but unpopular was not one of them. He was very charismatic and outgoing, and people couldn't help but fall for his charm. And not only girls, but guys too. Everybody wanted to be his friend. And I guess I couldn't blame them, he was after all a great guy.

I on the other hand, did not share his high level of social skills. Ever since we moved to Jacksonville I had slowly turned into a person that I didn't even like. I didn't know how to interact with people anymore. And I blamed my ability. Because each and every night just got worse, with more dreams and more livid ones at that. People's subconscious was really fucked up. And I didn't know how I was supposed to act around them after seeing their dreams. The dreams of a teenager gave away more than any other persons, and I knew more than I wanted to know about my fellow classmates.

But putting the dreams aside, I still couldn't find myself of making any lasting friends in Jacksonville, because they were all beyond shallow. All they ever talked about, or cared about, was getting the perfect than and the sexiest bikini. And I had no interest in that – I rather stayed indoors than going out in the sun. I didn't mind looking like the school-albino.

Basically I had been a social outcast for the past four years, so that was another reason why I was nervous to get back to Forks and my "old" life.

I closed my eyes again and smiled weakly to myself. A new beginning of my old life.

This would be nothing short of interesting.

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When we reached Forks, I was immediately overwhelmed with memories. We drove past the mall – that apparently had gone through a slight makeover during these past four years – and the city core. We reached the park, were I used to play as a child. Even the swing sets were the same. We drove past my old kindergarten. My middle school. The grocery store. And then… the high school.

It was weird too see it. It must be the only building in town that I didn't really know. I never had a reason to go there, so I had no clue on how it looked like on the inside. So I guess I was bound to have a few surprises, even in a familiar little town like this.

It didn't take long to drive through the town; it was after all a very little town. Before long we reached our old neighborhood. My grandma was living in our old house – or maybe I should say; we used to live in _her_ old house. The old, Victorian, house in question had been in our family for generations, so it was natural that grandma took it back when we left. But now we were all going to live there. And I couldn't help but wonder how my old room as going to look like; if grandma had changed it.

I remember that I used to love my room. It was a corner room; I had windows facing both our next door neighbor, and the street. I used to sit in the window seat, facing the front yard, watching the house across the street. I always felt a strange connection to that house – although it had been abandoned for years. I don't think I've ever seen anyone enter that house, or seen a light in any of the windows. I once asked my mom about it, why nobody was living there. She said something about it being a bad house, and nobody wanted it. But I couldn't understand it; I always used to think it was the most beautiful house on the street. With its three stories, and small tower by the right side of the house, and wide porch. It was painted in a light yellow color, but it had been faded by time, and the paint was flagging off. But still, it was a beautiful house.

My dad pulled up on the driveway, and we all stepped out of the car. I looked up at our house and smiled sadly. It looked exactly the same. The dark red, almost purple looking, house, with its wide porch – that was lit up with the familiar Victorian style lamps hanging from the slanting roof.

It looked like all the rooms on all the two, and a half, stories was lit up. Was grandma afraid of the dark or something?

Dad popped open the trunk and we grabbed our bags – we had only packed the most necessary things and brought with us in the car. The rest was coming in a few days with the moving company.

We made our way to the house, and dad didn't bother knocking. He just opened the door and walked right in. He disappeared into the living room, and my mom dropped her bag on the floor, before going into the kitchen. I looked at my brother and he looked at me with a smile.

"Home sweet home, ey sis?" he said.

I looked around and snorted.

"Yeah, home sweet home, indeed," I replied.

He chuckled and patted my shoulder, before heading up the stairs. My mom had already said we were getting our old rooms back. I sighed and followed suit.

When we reached the upstairs hallway my brother took off to the right, and I to the left. Our rooms were on opposite sides of the second floor. I walked through the short hallway to my room, and opened the door. The light was already on, and I don't know what I had expected. Maybe some sort of change. Something that showed those four years had passed. But instead I was met by… nothing. No change at all. The only thing that was off about the room since I've lived there was the fact that there were no personal things at all in the room. It looked exactly like I left it.

My old Victorian bed, along with my old desk, chair, and dresser were still there. And I'm sure it was even the same curtains hanging in the windows.

I put down my bag by the door, and walked over to my bathroom – God, how I missed to have my own bathroom. In Jacksonville I had been forced to share one with Phil, our bedrooms had been connected to the same one. But now, I was back on having my own wonderful bathroom.

I turned on the lights in the bathroom and was met by the exact same sight as I was when I left. I smiled to myself as I turned off the lights and went back into my room. It was like time hadn't passed at all in this town. Everything looked the same – with the small exception of the new wing at the mall.

I walked over to the window, where I used to sit, and looked out over the street. My eyes immediately found the house across the street and I looked at it surprised. There were lights on in several of the rooms. And I could see movement on the first floor.

I felt myself smirk, and nod, in appreciation. I guess something's does change.

I had a new neighbor.


	3. Mr Shadowman & Smirking Pixies

**A/N:** Read and review, pretty please? ;-)

**Chapter 2 – "Mr. Shadowman & Smirking Pixies"**

"_**Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. **__**Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens**_._**"**_ ~ Carl Jung

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I was completely exhausted after the long three day drive, so I fell asleep almost as soon as my head touched the pillow that night. And when I opened my eyes I found myself in the white fog.

I smiled and took a deep cleansing breath. And closed my eyes. There really were no other place that I could relax in as well as I did in the white fog. It was like the fog was magic, and could take away all my worries.

I opened my eyes again and started walking. It always felt better to be walking, even though I never got anywhere or saw anything.

But something was off… something about the fog didn't feel right. I stopped in mid step and looked around. Everything looked the same – white fog where ever I looked. It was the usual fog that almost made it impossible to see the hand in front of me. But even though it looked the same, it didn't feel the same. Not even close.

It felt like I was being watched. Like someone was catching my dream. I turned around and felt my breath catch in my throat. I could have sworn I saw a shadow blur passed in the fog. My eyes widened as I turned around. _There it was again_! I followed the shadow with my eyes, it was like a figure was hiding in the fog, circling me like an animal.

"_Who's there?" _I asked, my voice shaky and nervous.

I saw the shadow still, and I watched how it slowly turned. As if it turned to look at me. I took a few steps towards it – but it stayed put. The shadow didn't move at all.

"_Who are you_?" I asked, with my voice under slightly better control.

It looked like the shadow shook its head. The simple movement irritated me. It was my dream, god damn it! This was my sanctuary. Nobody bothered me in my white fog. It was the only place I could feel safe and relaxed. And this stupid shadow figure was ruining it. And when I asked who he or she was, it just shook its head?!

"_Who the fuck are you?" _I yelled, almost stomping my foot in frustration.

It was so quiet it almost hurt my ears. Then I heard it… a deep sigh.

"_I could ask you the very same thing," _a soft voice replied.

I was startled. It was a beautiful male voice. The sound alone felt like silk in my ears. Even with the slight irritated undertone, the voice was still beautiful.

"_What are you doing here? This is my dream. My space. You have no reason to be here," _I said, taking another few steps towards the shadow. But even though the shadow wasn't moving anymore, I still couldn't get closer. I couldn't make out his form. I couldn't see him at all. Just his shadow.

"_I can still ask you the same thing. For as long as I've remember this has been my sanctuary. So forgive me for sounding impolite; but get the fuck out of here. This is my space. Not yours,"_ the male said, his voice no longer soft, but hard and menacing.

I snorted and shook my head. Not letting myself be threatened by some random shadow in my white fog. _My white fog! _How dare he even enter? Was nothing sacred anymore?

"_Why don't you come closer and say that to my face," _I challenged, and but he just laughed humorlessly.

"_Haven't you heard? If you die in your dreams you die in real life…"_ he said, almost teasingly, like he was speaking to a two-year old child. I sighed deeply and looked away, like there even was somewhere to look.

"_Is that a threat?"_ I asked.

"_No, it's a promise."_

Suddenly the entire space echoed with the blaring sound of an alarm clock and I closed my eyes, trying to distance myself from the sound. Always with that stupid alarm. I can't even remember that I set an alarm. I sighed in frustration and opened my eyes again.

The white fog was gone, and replaced with my new – old – bedroom.

I was lying in my bed, as I looked around, feeling irritated, furious and honestly, more than a little confused.

Who the fuck was that?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

My brain felt foggy, and I was working my morning rituals on autopilot. Shower. Brushing my teeth. Getting dressed. Gathering my stuff for school. Going downstairs for breakfast.

Mom and Phil was already sitting by the kitchen island when I got in.

"Morning sunshine," my mom said and I didn't even bother to conjure up some smart-ass answer. I just sat down on the stool next to Phil and grabbed the cereal box.

"Where's dad?" I asked, as I poured some cereal and milk into my plate.

"He's upstairs with grandma, we're going with her to the hospital today for a few tests, so we might not be home when you get home from school," my mom replied.

My brother sighed deeply.

"I still don't get why we can't stay home today, I hardly got any sleep at all last night. Yesterday was pain and I need another day to settled down and recuperate," Phil complained.

My mom just smiled softly and shook her head.

"The best way to settle in is to jump right into your new life. Or maybe old life I should say," she said, "and don't you think it will be nice seeing your old friends again?"

I almost wanted to snort at that. Old friends my ass. It was not like I had stayed in contact with any of them, not like Phil, who would enter that high school and become the king of senior class within first period.

"You can borrow grandma's car to drive to school today," mom said to me, "I already gave the keys to your brother."

"And why can't I drive?" I complained. I really hated my brothers driving. He had no respect for the car he was driving – nor the other cars around him. It was nothing short of a miracle that he hadn't gotten himself into an accident, more serious than the occasional fender-bender

"Because I'm older," Phil teased and smiled widely at me. I rolled my eyes and looked down on my cereal. "And we should get going, don't wanna be late for our first day in school!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I muttered and took a spoonful of cereal before jumping down from the stool. I walked out off the kitchen and grabbed my bag that I've left by the foot of the stairs, before heading out after Phil. I threw a glance towards the house across the street, noticing a black car in the drive way.

"Have you seen them?" I asked out loud, and Phil turned around.

"Seen who?" He asked.

"The new neighbors…" I said nodding towards the house, he looked surprised, and he looked at the house like he hadn't ever seen it before. Then he just shrugged.

"No, but I guess some poor bastard finally decided to buy it," he said, while opening the driver's door to my grandmas beat up old Volkswagen beetle. "Are you going in or are you gonna stare at that house all day?"

I drew my eyes from the house and met my brothers amused gaze.

"Shut up," I muttered, and climbed into the passenger seat of the car.

The engine roared to life when Phil turned the key, and it almost sounded like it was going to die. I wondered if it would even make it all the way to school, with Phil driving it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We the reached the school in no time at all, and the car surprised me by not breaking down during the drive. We still had twenty minutes before first period, so we had time to go by the office and get registered.

When we climbed out of the car I noticed that there were several people looking at us, I guess that wasn't so surprising. We were novelty today. Forks was a small town after all, and everybody knew everybody. So fresh meat – even though most people probably still remembered us from middle school and junior high – was always welcome.

"Hey Philly!" a guy yelled, and we both turned around to see who had called.

"Mike fucking Newton! I though you'd be out of here by now," Phil replied, giving Mike a hug and the mandatory – very manly – pat on the back, "how the fuck are you?"

"Can't complain bro, can't complain at all," Mike replied smiling widely, before looking at me, "and who do we have here?"

He gave me an appreciative once-over and I felt my entire body cover in goose bumps. This guy used to creep me out even when I was thirteen, and now was even worse.

"This would be my little sister, all grown up… or so she claims," Phil laughed and threw an arm around my shoulder laughing at his own wittiness.

"So this is Bella? Wow… you have grown… up," Mike said nodding.

"Yeah, time does that to ya," I replied, before looking at Phil, "we should go get registered."

"Yes, of course, don't wanna keep the old ladies in the office waiting, see ya later bro," Phil replied, and fist-bumped Mike before turning us around and walked us to the office.

"Geez, he's even creepier than I remember him," I said to Phil when we were out of earshot of Mike.

Phil chuckled.

"If he give you any hell, let me know and I'll kick his ass," Phil replied.

"I don't need anyone to fight my battles," I retorted.

"No, of course not. You're an independent woman, feminism and all that," Phil said, while rolling his eyes. I didn't even dignify that with a response.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I got stuck in the office for a good thirty minutes. The woman who was working by the registration couldn't find my file – and therefore couldn't give me my schedule, or assign me a locker. Phil got his stuff in order in just a couple of minutes, and he didn't want to hang around to wait for me, so he bolted as soon as he was done there. So I had to stay there, and wait patiently as the secretary tried to find my info on the computer – since my paper-file was gone.

When I finally got my stuff, I was already ten minutes late for class. And it was barely that the secretary even handed me a tardy-slip. Like it was my fault I was late?

The school wasn't that big, so it didn't take me long to find my classroom. And when I did, I dreaded what was waiting for me inside.

I knocked on the door once before opening it. Twenty pair of eyes locked on me and I took a steadying breath before looking over at the teacher. According to my schedule his name was Richard Melina.

"Isabella Swan, first day and you chose to be late?" mr. Melina said and I showed him my tardy-slip.

"They couldn't find my file," I replied, "Not my fault."

Mr. Melina almost looked disappointed when he looked at the slip, and realized I wasn't being tardy on purpose. He waved me away to an open seat and I tried to keep my eyes from rolling. I guess he was that kind of teacher who got a rise out of humiliating students in front of everybody. I sat down by the only empty seat in the classroom, and I didn't even look over to see who I was sitting next to.

"Oh my god, _Bella_!" a girl squeeled in whispers, I turned my head to face the girl who sat next to me and saw that it was Jessica.

"Oh my god, Jessica!" I replied, but without the squeeling sound she'd made.

"I never thought I'd see you again," she whispered, as Mr. Melina continued his lecture.

"Me neither," I replied honestly.

"Why didn't you keep in touch?" she asked, pouting slightly.

I shrugged.

"Don't know," I replied, even though I knew exactly why. But I couldn't really tell her that.

Mr. Melina shot us an irritated look, and I was glad for the interruption. I wasn't sure if I was ready to have that conversation with Jessica, especially not during class.

I looked around the classroom to see if there were any new faces in the group. And I found myself locking eyes with a short, tiny, girl with a pixie-like appearance. Her black hair was cut short with a few purple highlights in it, and her eyes were piercing blue. She didn't look away ashamed when I caught her staring at me, instead she half-smiled at me – it almost looked like a smirk.

I didn't know this girl.

And the longer I looked at her, the more I realized how beautiful she was. Her pale skin was flawless, she hardly wore any makeup, and the little she did wear was only to enhance what she already got.

And the way she kept looking at me was unnerving. It was like she was trying to read me.

Suddenly she turned her head back towards the blackboard, and when she did I could swear that that half-smiled had turned to a full-on smirk.


	4. Freaks and those who hate them

**A/N:** Read and review, pretty please? ;-) Still looking for a beta btw…

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 3 – "Freaks and those who hate them"**

"_**To sleep is an act of faith**__**"**_ ~ Barbara G. Harrison

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My first three classes were all the same, people smiled and greeted me, letting me know that they did remember me. But nobody really struck up a conversation with me, maybe because Jessica had grabbed me right after first period and clung to my arm for the entire morning. She talked about everything she'd been up to since we last saw each other, and by the way she carried herself when we walked through the hallway to our classes it was obvious that she wasn't anybody in this high school, her name obviously meant something. I guess I should have considered myself lucky to be back by her side. And maybe that was also the reason why nobody really talked to me, more than smiling at me and saying 'hey'. Maybe people didn't want to cross some line, a line that was drawn as soon as Jessica grabbed me.

But I couldn't know for sure. It had only been three periods, and it was hard to get the whole picture when you're stuck in class. I wasn't surprised when Jessica grabbed my arm again, and pulled me towards the cafeteria when it was time for lunch. And for that I was glad, even though I had to admit that she had changed a lot during these four years.

I remember her being shy and nice. Never having anything nasty to say about anybody. She used to be my shadow, and if someone wanted to walk all over her she usually just lay down and let them do their thing. The Jessica I remember was nothing short of a push-over. But this new and improved Jessica Stanley was anything but. A geeky-looking girl, whose face I remember from middle school, but her name was totally lost, had accidentally bumped into Jessica in the hallway. And Jessica had turned on the death glare and practically made the girl pee her pants in fear. It was a weird sight; who would have thought that Jessica would grow up and become such a… bitch?

We stood in line of the cafeteria when someone bumped into me. I threw a glance over my shoulder to see who it was and I was met once again by those striking blue eyes. The pixie-looking girl was even shorter than I thought. I expected her to apologize for bumping into me, but instead she just raised an eyebrow at me and did that half-smile half-smirk thing again, before heading off towards her table.

I looked at Jessica.

"Who is that?" I asked, Jessica turned around and followed my gaze. Something flashed in her eyes, before she masked it up and turned to me with a bored expression.

"Alice Brandon, such a loser. She moved here a year or two after you left. She's so freakin weird, totally into magic and psyhic stuff and crap like that. Once I even overheard her giving a girl a prediction, that the girl's days were numbered or something… and that very same girl was in a car crash not twenty four hours later, the accident was a total mystery, the police couldn't find the reason behind it…" Jessica said quietly, and gazed at me to gauge my reaction at this juicy piece of gossip.

"Did she die? The girl I mean?" I asked, and to my surprise Jessica shook her head.

"No, she didn't. She just broke both her legs and an arm or something… she survived. But when she came back to school she was never the same again… she was off. And then her parents got enough and they moved… rumors say she was even hospitalized in a mental institution… apparently she had gone insane," Jessica's eyes glittered as she revealed this.

"Poor girl," was all I said, and I could swear Jessica got disappointed in my reaction. What did she expect of me? That I would laugh about it?

We paid for our food, and I followed Jessica to her table, where some of her friends already sat. I recognized several of them from class and all of them from my childhood. I guess nobody had really left town after all. Everybody was still here.

"Hey Bella, nice to see you again," a boy said as I sat down by the table. The boy had the most amazing skin, it was light brown and his hair was as black as it could get. His brown eyes were exactly as friendly as I remembered them.

"Nice to see you too Jacob," I replied.

And with that little comment I was suddenly thrown in to the center of attention, and as soon as I had answered one question about my life in Jacksonville another five was thrown at me. It was great that I was so easily accepted back into the gang. It was like I'd never left.

"Oh my Bella, why won't you come sit with the big boys instead?" a slightly husky voice said suddenly right by my ear, and I felt a hot breath in my neck. I turned my head and found my face being merely inches away from Mike Newton's smug looking mug. I almost recoiled at the uncomfortable closeness.

"Hey Newton, don't hit on my sister," my brother yelled from the food queue.

Mike straightened and turned to look over towards my brother.

"Oh c'mon, you know I'm just playin'," Mike hollered back with a smirk.

I turned back towards my table, and as I did I once again found myself locking eyes with Alice. But this time, she wasn't alone.

She sat by a table, by the window, with three other people. And they were all new to me. Alice sat next to a blonde bombshell – and I could honestly say I've never seen anyone so obviously beautiful outside of a magazine before, and what the hell she was doing in Forks, instead of being in a photo-studio was beyond me – and on Alice's other side was a blonde boy, he too was ridiculously gorgeous. His hair was short, and slightly curly, and his face-features seemed to be sculpted to perfection by some artist. And then there was the last one; on the blonde bombshell's other side there was a big guy. Not big as in overweight, but in big as in 'Dear God, that guy must be on steroids' big. His black hair was cut very short, almost a buzz-cut.

And neither of them were looking at me, the blonde bombshell was saying something to the big black haired guy – and he smirked at her as he lifted his arm and rested it on the back of her chair. I guess they were together. It looked like the blonde boy was in pain, or in very deep concentration about something, because he was frowning and his lips were drawn into a tight line. He was picking in his food, but it didn't look like he was aware of it. Instead he just looked even more focused as he looked straight into space, into nothing in particular.

Alice had her hands cupped on the table, and she was looking at me like I was some zoo-animal doing something fascinating. She didn't look remotely ashamed of it.

"Okey, if you have any self-preservation and all, I advise you to stop staring at the freak-table," Mike said, once again with his mouth ridiculously close to my ear, and with his hands on my shoulders. It was like they could hear him, because suddenly they were all four staring at me. And the blonde-boy, seemed slightly irritated at this. But the big guy and his bombshell of a girlfriend just looked slightly amused.

"Who are they?" I asked, unable to pull my eyes off of them.

Mike took an empty chair from the table next to ours and pulled it next to mine, he sat down on it backwards before looking at me.

"Emmet 'I can kick your ass in my sleep' McCarty, Rosalie 'Every guys wet dream' Hale, Alice 'I can predict your death' Brandon, and of course Jasper 'Always fucking pissed off' Whitlock," Mike said, and I could tell he had most likely practiced that speech. It sounded too well-rehearsed to be spontaneous.

"But they are missing the freakiest of the bunch though… maybe he finally got committed," Jacob said under his breath. I finally looked away from the newcomers, and looked at Jacob in surprise. He was never one to say something so mean about someone. But then again, Jessica used to be a pushover. I guess he changed too.

"Oh yeah, Edward 'I can have anyone I want' Cullen," Mike said nodding, "I almost forgot about that asshat."

"I don't get it, why do they have such a bad reputation around here? Why do you all hate them so much?" I asked confused.

"Oh, Bella," Jessica said and patted my hand on the table, "Their reputation isn't based on some rumors or gossip, but on pure facts. Their reputation didn't just happen, they brought this on themselves. These people are crazy. "

"But that doesn't keep you from trying to get into Edwards pants… how is that going by the way?" Lauren asked innocently, as she looked at Jessica.

"Oh please, this from the girl who tried to go down on him in the janitors closet!" Jessica retorted.

"Didn't you guys just say he was insane? What could there possibly be about him that could make up for insanity?" I asked.

Lauren rolled her eyes at me and Jessica just sighed.

"Don't worry baby, we won't let anyone touch you, I swear," Mike said.

Someone cleared its throat, and Mike turned his head.

"What did I say about hitting on my sister? Lay off," Phil sighed, "C'mon, let's go."

Mike chuckled as he stood up and left our table and went to sit with Phil and their friends. I threw one last glance at the freaks table – and once again I found myself lock eyes with Alice. But this time, I knew better off it, and looked away before anyone noticed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The rest of my day went by without much incident. Jessica and I did not share any afternoon classes, so instead I was stuck with Lauren. And luckily, she wasn't as talkative as Jessica. It didn't seem like she was very interested in talking to me or asking me questions; since she was the only one who hadn't asked one single question during lunch. Instead she kept giving me sideway glances, and everything she said to me sounded condescending. Maybe she didn't like all the attention I got, and if I weren't totally off I would guess that she had a thing for Mike – since she looked absolutely furious (even though she tried to hide it) when Mike kept so close to me when we were at lunch, before Phil dragged him off.

And I wanted nothing to do with Mike Newton – but of course I couldn't tell her that. Lauren wasn't the kind of girl that would take it lightly if someone came up to her and said she could "have" a guy, and that she didn't need to worry. Girls like Lauren didn't believe in competition – she knew what she wanted, then she grabbed it. There was never any competition to speak off. So I would not tell her I wasn't interested in Mike, I just hoped it was obvious enough for her not to hate me even more.

My brother was already waiting by the car when I got out, so I didn't have to wait.

"So, how was your first day?" he asked, smiling widely.

"It was fine…" I replied, "Same old people, not many changes. It's like we travelled back in time. Oh my god, it's four years ago!" I put my hand to my chest and feigned shock.

He laughed and shook his head in amusement.

"I couldn't agree more, but I don't see it as a bad thing. I like it. I've missed my dudes, so this is gonna be awesome," he said, "and you got to hook me up with that Lauren… God, these four years have been good to her."

I looked at him and snorted.

"You do realize she's into Newton, right?" I asked.

"Yeah? So? He's not into her, so what's the big whop? Besides, I haven't even introduced myself yet. So she still believes Newton is the only guy in our school worth having, and I can't wait to prove her wrong," he said, sounding so sure of himself it would have been ridiculous if that wasn't the way he always was when he spoke about a girl.

"Well, I wouldn't say that," I said, "Both Jessica and Lauren seemed pretty riled up when it came to another guy in our school… I think his name was Edward Cullen or something… I never got to see him, so I have no idea if he's really that hot…"

Phils face grew somber and all the amusement was gone from his features.

"Yeah… my dudes updated me on that gang… I have classes with McCarty and Withlock… and as far as I was told, one should not mess with them. I could have guess that about McCarty, because he could kill anyone with his hands and legs tied… seriously, that dude is scary… but I was told Withlock was the guy to look out for… I never understood why, and no one ever really got into it. But apparently he's some kind of psycho, nobody ever knows what to expect from him. And I guess that's why people are afraid of him… he's the silent killer type, he's the type that would torture you just for the hell of it, while McCarty would go for the obvious kill," he rambled and I just shook my head lightly.

"That's the thing that bugs me though," I said, "everyone is saying how bad these people are and that I should keep my distance from them… but no one really wants to tell me exactly what the deal is."

Phil chuckled darkly.

"Didn't anyone fill you in on how that little pixie-chick predicted a girl's death, and then that particular girl got into a car-accident just a few days later?" Phil asked, glancing at me.

I sighed deeply.

"Yes, Jessica was nice enough to fill me in on that one, thank you," I replied, "But still… that could have been a freak coincidence…"

He shook his head and chuckled.

"What happened to you, sis? Since when do you defend the freaks… especially freaks you don't know," he asked, sounding both amused and a little irritated.

"I guess people change," I replied coolly.

"I can't argue with that," he replied.

I looked at him and smiled crookedly, before looking out the window.

I thought about Alice. And I couldn't help but wonder if she had already predicted my untimely death. Maybe that was why she kept looking at me like that? With that half-smile half-smirk thing she had going on.

Maybe that was it. My first day back in Forks, and my last day on earth, all wrapped up in one neat little package.


	5. Monkeygirl

**A/N:** Read and review… or I'll make jerky Edward Cullen push you around in a hallway… but then again… who would complain? ;-)

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 4 – "Monkeygirl"**

"_**Dreams that do come true can be as unsettling as those who don't**_._**"**_ ~ Brett Butler

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I stood in the corner of a room, feeling the nausea build up. I've seen some pretty disturbing stuff in people's dreams – but this might take the price. For all that is good and holy – why the hell did my brother keep insisting on having these sexual dreams? And what the hell was _this room _about?

Almost everything in the room was pink. The walls, the curtains, the bed cover, the rug and everything on the book shelves had pink items in them. What kind of sick fantasy was this? Since when did my brother have a pink fetish?

I looked at the bed, where the two bodies were rolling around. Slopping kisses and groping each other like their life depended on it. Phil pulled back slightly, and I could catch a glimpse of the person lying beneath him. And I immediately recognized that brown curly hair and innocent doe eyes.

Jessica.

I felt slightly confused – and sick to my stomach – as the dream continued. I thought Phil said he was interested in Lauren? So why was he having this dream about Jessica?

"_I want you Phil… I need you… now_," Jessica panted and sat up slightly.

Phil pulled back and watched as Jessica pulled of her shirt. I wanted to look away, but my eyes were oddly transfixed on Jessica's chest… her surprisingly hairy chest. As soon as her shirt was off it was like she wasn't even female anymore. Or human for that matter. She had no breasts to speak of at all; instead she looked like a skinny and hairy ape. Phil looked down on her chest and pulled back even more.

"_Okey monkey-girl… ever heard of waxing?"_ he said, his voice acid and disgusted.

Jessica looked down on her chest and her face went pale. It was like she didn't even know she looked like that. She was just as surprised as Phil was. And I could tell she was seconds away from bursting into tears.

"_This…this isn't me, I promise… I don't look like this… I'm hot… I really am…_" Jessica said, her voice trembling. She tried to reach for Phil but he kept pulling back before he left the bed all together.

"_Sorry girl, but I don't do freaks_," he said, before heading to the window and jumping out without a second glance. I stepped towards the window, half expecting the dream to make me jump out after him. But instead I found myself stuck in the room. Everything was dark outside the window, like there was nothing there to begin with. I turned around and looked at Jessica who was shaking in violent sobs.

"_I'm not a freak! I'm hot damn it! I can have anyone I want! I'm hot! I'm hot! I'm not a freak! I'm not!!"_ she yelled into the room and I looked at her startled.

I guess it wasn't Phil's dream after all. It was Jessica's.

I walked slowly towards the bed, and sat down by the monkey-chested Jessica, who sat Indian-style in the middle of the bed, crying her eyes out. I felt my fingers twitch, my body wanting to touch her. To console her. She was after all my oldest friend. Maybe she had changed her outside appearance and behavior, but she was apparently still the same insecure girl on the inside.

I smiled sadly when I recalled what she had said earlier that day.

"_Why didn't you keep in touch? I thought we were best friends… I really missed you, you know._"

I had no answer to her then, but as I looked at her now, I realized there simply wasn't an answer to begin with. Jessica had always been a close friend, and there was a reason why she depended on me so much while we were growing up. Her self-esteem and lack of confidence, even as a ten-year old, made it almost impossible for her to even try to interact with other people. So I was always there to help her.

Maybe me leaving, without staying in touch, hurt her more than I thought? Maybe she depended on me, and my friendship, more than I ever realized. I smiled sadly to myself.

And maybe, just maybe, I shouldn't have used my ability as an excuse not to connect with new people – or stay in touch with an old friend. An old friend who obviously needed me.

I was a bad friend. And it was a wonder that she let me back in her life with open arms, like nothing ever happened. But I guess that shouldn't be so surprising; since she was such a different person now. But not all the way through. Her low self-esteem still seemed to be a big factor in her life. But it was well-hidden in the darkness of her subconscious.

I put my hand on hers in her lap.

"_I'm sorry, Jess, I should have kept in touch… I wish I had been a better friend to you," _I said softly.

Ever so slowly her sobs subsided, and she raised her head and suddenly she was staring at me. Not through me. But _at_ me. Like she could see me. But that was impossible! Wasn't it? Never in my life had anyone acknowledged my presence in a dream before.

"_I guess we weren't as good friends as I thought we were_," she said, her voice steady.

I felt my throat close up, and I found it hard to breathe.

"_I'm so sorry, Jess, so sorry,"_ I whispered.

She smiled softly and nodded.

"_I know_," she said.

As soon as the words left her lips I felt the room go fuzzy, as if the entire room was vibrating and slowly dissipating. I looked at Jessica in shock, but she just looked at me with that same soft smile, seeming unaware of what was going on with the room.

I felt myself plunge and I closed my eyes in shock of the sudden movement.

I was panting, with my heart beating erratically in my chest.

When I opened my eyes again I found myself back in my bed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I stared down at my cereal, but not really seeing it at all. Jessica's dream was all I could think about. She could see me. She could talk to me. She _did_ talk to me. What did it all mean? Was my ability growing into something else? Is that why I was no longer alone in my fog? After all, I had never interacted with anyone in my white fog either, but that was because I've always been alone. But now? Everything was changing.

"Earth to Bella, earth to Bella, come in Bella?"

I looked up surprised, and found Phil looking at me amused.

"Where were you?" he asked, and I just shook my head softly.

"Just thinking… nothing important," I replied with a sigh.

"Yeah well, your thinking has gotten us late. So go grab your stuff and we'll get going," he said and I nodded.

I ran upstairs to my room to retrieve my bag, that was lying by the window that was facing the street. As I closed the zipper on the bag I let my eyes wander out, looking at the house across the street. A very pale, blonde, man was leaving the house and walking towards the black car that was parked on the driveway. He was dressed in a crisp black suit; even from this distance I could tell it was expensive.

The man drove off, and a moment later the front door opened again, and a guy walked out. His hair was brown, almost bronze-looking in the sunlight, and untidy – he was in desperate need of a haircut, it looked like his hair had a mind of its own. He was dressed in worn black jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt, with a short-sleeved t-shirt over it. I couldn't make out what the t-shirt said, but it looked like some kind of band t-shirt.

"Hey Bella, c'mon already!" Phil yelled from downstairs.

I tore my eyes from the window and ran downstairs, where Phil was waiting by the front door.

"What took you so long?" he complained, and opened to the door and walked outside.

I followed him out and closed the door behind me. As I made my way to the drive way, I looked towards the boy across the street. He had opened up the garage and I saw a shiny silver Volvo inside. A moment later, he was driving the car slowly out of the garage. He stepped out off the car to close the garage door. Then he quickly jumped back into the Volvo and drove off; in a speed that must likely broke the speed limit… and then some.

"What a douche," Phil muttered, I chuckled softly as I opened the passenger door of the car and jumped in. We drove in silence, and when we got to the school I saw the shiny Volvo, being parked across two parking spaces, right over the line.

"Seriously! What a douche!" Phil complained, as he was forced to drive around the lot again to find an available space, since mr. Volvo-guy took up the two.

We found one empty space furthest away from the school, which annoyed Phil to no end. We stepped out of the car and walked together up towards the school. Phil couldn't walk five feet without having to fist-bump some random dude or getting a flirty smile from some random girl.

When we got into the school, we parted ways since our lockers were in different hallways, and I was on my own. But apparently, not for long. Suddenly a girl came flying and hugged the life out of me.

"Good morning, Bella!" Jessica said, sounding so happy it made me wonder for a second if she might be on drugs. I pulled back and forced a smile at her.

"Morning, Jessica… someone woke up on the right side today," I noted and she laughed.

"I don't get it either, I'm just so happy to see you!" she said.

"I'm happy to see you too," I replied, feeling a little confused.

She hugged my arm as she dragged me down the hallway.

"We have to go shopping today, have you been at the mall yet? They built a new wing a couple of years ago, and they have some seriously fabulous dresses there. We have to go," she said excitedly.

"Yeah, sure, sounds fun," I replied.

We stopped by my locker so I could pick up my books. I grabbed my books, and closed the locker door, and just as I was about to walk towards my class I felt someone bump into me – hard.

I dropped my stuff and I turned to look at the one who bumped into me – and found myself looking into a pair of beautiful, emerald eyes. Emerald eyes that belonged to a guy with messy bronze hair… that was in desperate need of a haircut.

When I took in the whole sight of him, it didn't take me long to recognize him. My new neighbor. My new, arrogant neighbor. Who thought he was too good to use only _one_ parking space, like the rest of us.

"Do you mind?" I snapped, "Look where you're walking."

He looked down on my stuff that was still spread out on the floor, before meeting my gaze again. He raised an eyebrow at me, like he was silently challenging me to ask him to pick it up. I rolled my eyes at his obvious superego-complex and crouched to pick up my stuff. I guess I wasn't surprised when the guy didn't help me after all, instead he kept walking.

"Jerk," I muttered under my breath, and gave Jessica a thankful smile when she helped me gather my stuff. When we stood up I met her gaze, and what I saw confused me. She was blushing, and her posture reminded me of old Jessica.

"What is it?" I asked, suddenly concerned about her losing all confidence and retreating back to her old self. She bit her lip nervously.

"That was Edward Cullen… and nobody ever snaps at Edward Cullen," her voice low, like she was afraid that someone would hear her. Or maybe that Edward would.

I sighed. I guess it wasn't about her after all. It was about that douchebag. Why was I even surprised about Jessica's reaction? Of course she would be worried about someone snapping at him; like he didn't deserve it. Like he was the victim. Just because she had a crush on him.

"I guess it was about time then… Jesus, is he always that disrespectful?" I asked, barely masking my irritation about the whole situation.

Jessica shrugged lightly, and I sighed.

I don't know what I had expected of this mysterious Edward Cullen, who seemed to have all the girl's panties in a twist, but I guess I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, I had to admit. He was gorgeous. But he wasn't _that_ gorgeous. I couldn't believe he could get away with acting like a jerk just because he looked like he did. And that people actually defended his behavior?

Did people not have any self-respect at all?

Obviously not.

I glanced at Jessica, who was smiling widely now as we walked through the hallway. I couldn't help but feel bad for my thoughts. Jessica was apparently very good at hiding how bad she felt about herself, and she probably wasn't the only one either. So maybe they let Edward be a jerk towards them just because it was better than to be treated like air..

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I dropped off my books at my locker, before heading towards the cafeteria and meet up with the others for lunch. I was just about to close the locker door when I jumped in surprise. Alice had appeared out of nowhere and was now standing in front of me with that half-smile half-smirk on her lips, her eyes dancing in excitement.

"I don't think we've been officially introduced, I'm Alice Brandon," she said, her voice sounding like sweet little bell chimes. Her voice really suited her pixie like appearance. She was holding out her tiny hand to me, and I looked at it before taking it hesitantly. Her grip was surprisingly firm.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Bella Swan…" I said.

"Oh, don't I know it," she said, her half-smirk becoming even more pronounced, like she was teasing me or something.

"Well, alright then," I said, taking back my hand, "It was nice meeting you Alice, but now I have to go."

I stepped beside her, but she stepped with me, so she was once again facing me.

"Why don't you sit with us for lunch?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. Something in her tone made me wonder if she was asking or demanding. I shook my head.

"Sorry, I promised Jessica…" I trailed off and gave her a sheepish smile before walking around her. This time she didn't stop me.

I had not walked more than a few feet before Alice's voice rang out to me.

"It was nice of her to forgive you for leaving… but then again, maybe she did because you just caught her making out with your brother… But I do suggest you to apologize in person too… " she said, her voice teasing, and her words were nothing but gibberish to me. What was she talking about?

A second later it came to me.

I froze when I realized exactly what she was saying. How could she know about that? Yeah, rumors said she was future-seeing and insane, but it was literally impossible for her to know about the dream. But her words were hitting too close to home to feel coincidental. And the way she said it held no margin for jokes. She meant what she said, as if she knew what she was talking about. She hadn't just pulled that comment out of thin air.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, hoping she would explain how she knew.

She shot me a full blown smirk.

"Oh, I think you know exactly what that means. It's not nice to mess with people's subconscious," she said and tapped her temple, "I should know."

She made a sound that resembled a giggle, before turning around and walking away. I followed her with my eyes, unable to move. There was only one thought running through my mind at that moment, but as ridiculous as it was, and as implausible, I still couldn't help but wonder.

Did Alice Brandon know my secret? And more importantly: how?


	6. Freak!

**A/N:** I know the story has been going in a pretty slow pace up until now, but I promise that things will speed up in the next chapter. And they will probably be a little longer from now on; instead of the usual 2,500 words they will probably be in the range of 6,000-7,000 words. Hope you guys don't mind.

And up until now I've really haven't been totally sure in which direction I want the story to take (even though I know where it's going), but now I know. So the story, as well as the writing of it, will probably make a lot more sense and be better explained in further chapters. And not be as "loosely" written as it has been up until now. So please, stay with me! The story will improve.

Still beta-less btw… just letting you guys know ;-)

Anyway, please review! I want to know what I can improve (both with my writing and with the story itself). If there is something that is unclear, please tell me and I'll try my best to clear everything up :-)

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 5 – "Freak"**

"_**A man's reputation is what other people think of him; his character is what he really is**__**"  
**_ ~ unknown

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I was still a little shaky after me run-in with Alice, when I sat down beside Jessica at our table in the cafeteria. Lauren, Tyler and Jacob were already seated there as well. Jessica turned to me as she munched on some carrot sticks.

"What took you so long?" she asked.

I shook my head, in an attempt to clear it. Didn't work.

"Alice Brandon stopped me in the hallway… she asked me if I wanted to eat lunch with them," I replied, keeping the details about Jessica out. There was no reason to bring up something I couldn't explain myself. The entire table went quiet and they were now all looking at me.

"What…why?" Jessica asked.

I shrugged.

"I don't know, she didn't say."

"She's such a freak," Lauren snorted, "Did you guys see what she was wearing today? Can you say hideous?"

Jessica giggled, and I forced a laugh. Laurens comment wasn't funny – nor was it true. Alice did have a weird style, matching pieces that wouldn't usually go together. But for some reason it worked for her, because she really did look good. But I knew better than to acknowledge that out loud.

Jessica and Lauren started talking about some dress they've seen at the mall that would be awesome for some party. I scarcely listened; instead I found my thoughts drift towards "the freaks" again. They were all there - even Edward, who sat with his back towards me. I saw Alice lips move, as she spoke to him, and I let my eyes wander to Jasper – and found him staring at me. And he looked beyond pissed. What was wrong with that guy? Was he angry because I declined Alice's invitation to have lunch with them? _Nah, doubt it_, I thought.

"Oh Bella, when will you learn? One time is nothing, but two times will get you killed, stop staring at them… they might think you're interested," Mike said in my ear so suddenly I jumped in my chair. He chuckled and squeezed my shoulder before walking away. Lauren and Jessica had stopped talking and were now looking at me.

"Seriously, Bella, don't push your luck," Lauren said with a condescending smile.

"Sorry," I muttered and looked down on my tray of food.

But before I did, I noted that the entire freak-table was looking at me. Even Edward had turned around in his seat. Maybe I did belong with them? I bet I was more of a freak than they were anyway. Because what could be freakier than the thing I could do?

I shook my head slightly, and tried to push the thought aside.

Yes, I might be a freak. In every sense of the word. But there was no reason for me to attract any unwanted attention towards that fact. I was a freak in a sheep's clothing. And I would stay that way.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Phil was happy when I told him I had promised Jessica to go shopping with her. Now he got the car all for himself, and he could drive to Mike's place and hang out without having to drop me off first.

Jessica and I drove to the mall in her old, beat-up, red Fiat, that had an inside that smelled like bubblegum – and then I noticed the two bubblegum-scented Wunderbaums hanging from the rearview mirror. I guess she wasn't aware of the fact that you were supposed to remove the plastic in stages, and not all at once, since the smell was at the point of nauseating.

I had just unbuckled my belt when Jessica already was by my side of the car and opened my door. And basically dragging me out of it and further towards the entrance of the mall.

"You will love it," she said brightly, "the new stores are awesome. And there's a cute little café by the new wing with the best lattés."

That was when I tuned her out. She was too caught up in her own rambling and praising of the malls to notice that I wasn't paying attention. Instead I let my eyes wander and take in the mall on my own.

"So what do you think?" she asked, and pulled in my arm. I looked at her surprised – she was apparently done rambling now, and was ready to hear what I had to say.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" I asked, hoping she didn't realize I hadn't heard a word she had said.

"I asked if you wanted to take a latte first or check out the wing?" she asked again, still all smiles. She didn't seem offended by my lack of attention. Or maybe she just didn't notice because she was too caught up in the world of Jessica.

"We can check out the new wing," I said, and she smiled as she pulled me towards the new wing. I tried not to be irritated by her dragging me around; was she afraid I would run off if she didn't had a hold on my arm?

She pulled me into the first store, which turned out to be a store filled with clothes I wouldn't be caught dead in. Lots of strappy tops, in bright colors, and dresses that showed off more than they covered. Jessica immediately pulled out a bright pink top, which looked like it contained of nothing but straps that had been randomly put together, and held it against her chest and looked at her reflection in a nearby mirror. It was hideous, to put it mildly.

"What do you think? You think Ph… I mean, you think it looks good?" she asked, flushing lightly.

_Phil_. So her dream might not been totally random after all – which most dreams usually were – maybe Phil served a purpose there. And maybe she became some gorilla-freak because she was afraid that was what she thought of her. A freak. And even though I didn't like the idea of Jessica hooking up with Phil, I still wanted her to feel good about herself. So I did the only thing I could think off. I lied.

"Yeah, I think you should try it on… I think it would look great on you," I said forcing a smile.

She smiled so brightly it almost blinded me, before she ran off to the dressing rooms. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Jessica was too chipper and to… girly for my taste. It was weird to admit, but I liked her better when she was insecure and not so talkative. But it would be wrong of me to ditch her, for so many reasons. One of them being the fact that I didn't want to be a social misfit anymore. And Jessica provided me a chance to keep that from happening. And another reason being the fact that I still felt bad for how I treated her in the past; how I just chose to cut her out when I moved, since she apparently felt bad about it still.

"Haven't your mother told you it's mean to lie?" a soft high voice said, interrupting my musings.

I turned around and saw the beauty that was Rosalie stand before me. I had only seen her in the cafeteria before, and even when she sat down she was breathtaking. But now, when she stood there in all her glory, with her tight jeans and designer top, with a casual hand on her hip and a smirk on her lips, she looked even more gorgeous.

"What have I lied about?" I asked, suddenly paranoid that she could read my mind. It wouldn't be such a surprise, since Alice seemed to be able too.

"Even a blind person would see that that top was hideous, and will probably look even more hideous on her with her posture. Besides, she doesn't have the chest to fill it out," she smirked and I looked away from the scrutiny of her eyes, "and don't even try to say you didn't think so too."

I felt myself relax a little. Okey, she wasn't reading my mind. She was just stating the obvious. The obvious that I was too chicken to say out loud to Jessica what I really thought about it, since she apparently liked that hideous creation.

"Was it something more you wanted?" I asked and met her piercing gaze, and as I did I realized she had the most pretty blue eyes I've ever seen. They almost looked fake. She smiled at me and tilted her head slightly to the side.

"My friend Alice," she said waving her hand towards a store next door, "saw you in here, and wanted me to ask you to eat with us tomorrow at lunch."

"Ask me or make me?" I retorted and Rosalie looked at me surprised – I didn't peg her as a person who ever got surprised, she didn't look like someone who could be caught off guard – before she burst into laughter.

"Make you? Oh please, don't think too highly of yourself," she laughed, but she didn't sound condescending, not like Lauren, "Alice seem to have caught a liking to you, don't ask me why, because I have no idea."

"She doesn't even know me," I replied, with a humorless chuckle. Why couldn't these people just leave me the heck alone?

"That hasn't stopped her before, how the hell do you think Jasper ended up sitting with us? I've seen you look at us at lunch, and can you honestly say you think he likes it there?" Rosalie said, "Although, he has changed his mind about us since she made him sit with us…" she added, rolling her eyes, and smiled as if it was some inside joke I was missing,

"Oh, that's your deal," I said calmly, "you force people sit with you even if they're miserable?"

"Again with the making and forcing," Rosalie sighed in exasperation, "we don't make people do anything. The only reason I'm still talking to you is because of Alice. She wants to be your friend, and I'm just trying to make this easier on you… because she is a stubborn bitch."

"Speaking of bitches… and freaks," I heard Jessica say behind me.

I turned around and wondered for a moment for how long she had been standing there.

"Seriously Bella, don't speak to her. Her freakiness might be contagious," Jessica said, and I could tell she tried to sound all bitchy and venomous, but her voice betrayed her as it shook lightly, and she couldn't keep her eyes on Rosalie, instead her eyes darted all over the place. I guess Jessica was more afraid of Rosalie than she wanted to admit.

"Oh, I think it already has," Rosalie smirked, and pierced me once again with her insane eyes.

I raised an eyebrow in a silent question and Rosalie laughed, and it sounded so light and carefree, not at all fake.

"Oh, Bella… you're cute when you act like you don't know what I'm talking about," she said and tapped her temple lightly, "Maybe I'll see you tonight…"

I felt all the blood leave my face, and she laughed again as she left the store. I turned to Jessica who frowned when she met my gaze.

"What the hell was she talking about?" she asked.

"Beats me… she's the freak, right?" I replied, hoping my voice didn't betray me.

Luckily Jessica was too oblivious to the obvious, because she just rolled her eyes.

"She's a freak alright, and I advice you not to be caught speaking to either of them again… they're bad news," she said.

"Are you buying the top?" I asked, changing the subject shamelessly.

"Oh yeah," she nodded ecstatically, "and you were right, it looked great on me. Thanks!"

Apparently Jessica no longer had any taste either, but then again; she never did back in the days either.

She dragged me towards the cash-register, and in the corner of my eye I saw Alice and Rosalie walk pass the store – looking straight at me. I turned my head fully towards them. In a poor attempt to show them that they didn't scare me – if that was what they were trying to do. But they were already gone.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

That night I found myself in the dreams of Mike. He was half naked, only dressed in a pair of jeans. And I could see that the dream didn't match reality – no way that Mike was that ripped in real life. Yeah, I might not have seen him naked, but you couldn't hide muscles like that.

I watched as he walked around the living room, it was like he was looking for something. It knocked on the door, but he didn't go to open it. Instead he began to look in the couch, throwing away the cushions like a mad man.

"_Oh… Mike…_" an incredibly soft and sensual voice said from the other side of the living room.

I looked up, and I didn't know whether to cry or laugh. I settled on just groaning in frustration. Because that soft voice apparently belonged to me. That was a first. I've never seen anyone dream about me before. Mike quit rummaging through the couch and stood up. I watched as my dream self twirled a hair strand around her finger and licking her lips. _Oh dear god_…

"_Whatcha doing there… Mickey_?" she asked and he frowned.

"_I'm sorry babe, but I can't find it_," he sighed.

"_I like to ride bareback_,_ we would make cute babies…_" she said as she advanced on him.

It was then I realized what the hell she was wearing. A skimpy pink dress that barely covered her ass, and showed more of her chest than it covered. And the fabric was pretty translucent as it was, making me wonder why the hell she was wearing anything at all, since it didn't cover anything. And it looked like he didn't just exaggerate his own physic, but mine as well. No chance in hell that my boobs were that huge. I looked like a bimbo. And not in a good way (if there ever was a good way).

I watched as my dream self threw herself at Mike and kissed him deeply.

"_Oh, Mike… you're everything I've ever wanted,"_ I heard myself say and he smirked.

"_Oh darling, I knew you couldn't resist me,_" he said and grabbed her ass.

She made some sort of moaning chuckling sound, and it seemed to drive him wild since he threw her on the couch – which had magically gotten its cushions back – and started to grope her like his life depended on it. And all the while I heard myself moan his name. It made me nauseous beyond belief.

The horrible experiences of having to witness the disgusting dreams of horny teenage boys from my old school, faded in comparison to what I had to witness now. Myself along with a guy that I couldn't stand. I hoped he had set his alarm early, or that something would wake either of us up. Because I didn't know how long I would be able to witness that before passing out… was that even possible? To pass out in a dream?

I suddenly remembered Jessica's dream, how I managed to interact with her. Maybe I could interact with Mike in here too? Maybe I could make him stop. I walked over to him and took a deep breath before I grabbed his shoulder. And as I did, he shot up so fast it startled me and I lost my grip of him. I took a few steps back and watched in surprise how my dream-self had disappeared beneath him. He was alone again.

He was looking around in confusion and I smiled. I didn't need to stop him from touching me, apparently my dream-self knew better and left on her own accord. He looked totally dumbstruck as he sat on the couch. Probably wondering where his bimbo-version of me went.

I felt the familiar feeling of being weightless, as the room began to fade. The dream was ending.

Thank God.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Although I still felt sick when I woke up the next morning, the dream had been worth it since I learned a little bit more about my ability. I assumed that the touching was a crucial part in interacting with people in their dreams. A crucial part in changing the direction of the dream, changing the outcome.

And I wondered if it was because of me that the dream-me disappeared. Because she vanished as soon as I touched him. I wondered what that was about… and it frustrated me to no end that there was no one for me to ask. I had so many questions, but no one to give me answers.

I went to school with Phil, and even he seemed to be in a bad mood that morning. And for that I was grateful, because I wasn't in the mood for his usual worthless overly-cheerful chit-chat on the way to school.

I wasn't assaulted by Jessica on the parking lot that morning either and that was a plus. But my luck didn't last as she found me by my locker just a few minutes later. She wasn't as chipper and happy as she had been the day before, but she was still all smiles and no frowns. It was like that smile was permanently attached to her face nowadays. _Doesn't it hurt her cheeks to smile like that all the time_? I thought to myself.

She was just about to open her mouth to say something when she closed it again and looked passed me. I frowned and followed her gaze, and saw big ol' Mike walk down the hallway towards us with a big smirk on his face and his eyes locked on… _me_. Damn it.

The way he let his eyes wander down my body reminded me of the way he looked at the dream-me. I felt the bile in my throat, and when he was close enough for me to smell the stench of his aftershave, I feared I was going puke right there and then.

"Oh Bella, sweet sweet Bella, I'm having a party Friday night. You better be there or I might just cry," he pouted, as he threw an arm around my shoulder. I immediately tensed and I was just moments away from puking all over his fancy leather shoes.

It took all of my self-control in order not to chop his arm right off his body. Instead I gently removed his arm around my shoulders and forced a smile.

"I don't know… but I'm sure you'll be the first one to find out," I replied calmly.

_And if you ever touch me again, you will sing perfect soprano for the rest of your life, _I added in my thoughts.

"C'mon, you have to come," he begged, "It will be awesome. More beer than you could ever drink, and my parents just got a brand new pool-table for the basement."

Just the thought of having to handle a drunk Mike made me want to run all the way back to Jacksonville. Where I was safe. Safe from Mike.

I just nodded, and he smiled widely – probably believing I just agreed to go – before walking off. I turned back to Jessica, her eyes glittering.

"You got to go!" Jessica said desperately, "Mike's parties are legendary. You have to go!"

"I can hardly stand Mike when he is sober, what makes you think I will stand him when he's drunk?" I asked, and she laughed.

"Oh c'mon, there will be so many people there that he won't even find you. Besides, it will give you a proper chance on checking out the market for real," she said and winked.

"What market?" I asked with a laugh, "This is Forks. There is no market."

"Whatever. You're still going though," Jessica said as she walked away towards her locker in the end of the hall, "See you in class."

I shut my locker with my foot, before walking down the hallway towards my first class. I tried not to notice, or dwell on why Rosalie and Emmett smiled at me when I passed them. And I really tried not to wonder why Jasper was looking at me like that when I passed.

He had been standing alone, by his locker at the end of the hallway, and for the first time since I've been here, he didn't look all pissed off. Instead he gave me a sympathetic look. And for some reason he frowned slightly when I met his gaze, like he hadn't intended for me to notice him at all. He turned back to his locker and I ignored him as I kept on walking.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I was already in class when Jessica walked in and sat down beside me.

"So what do you have against Mike anyway? He's cute. Any girl would give her right arm to be with him you know," she asked indifferently without looking at me.

"Well you can have him then, because I don't want him," I replied coolly.

"But why? I don't get it!" she said, all the indifference gone in her voice, replaced with nothing but frustration and morbid curiosity.

"What's not to get? The guy creeps me out!" I snapped, harsher than I intended, and Jessica flinched and was slightly taken aback by my tone.

"Geez, sorry I asked," she said irritatedly, and flipped her hair over her shoulder, "What kind of guy wouldn't creep you out then? Since Mike isn't good enough for you?"

I shrugged in response and she snorted.

"I wonder if either Edward Cullen or Withlock would creep you out… or maybe they're exactly your type…" she muttered, almost to herself, and for some reason I felt really offended by her comment. Not because she was comparing me to "the freaks", but because she apparently thought I belonged with them for not liking Mike.

"So what? I'm a freak because I don't like Mike? What's your damage?" I snapped, no longer caring whether or not she would be angry with me, because frankly; I was angry with her.

She snorted and threw me a look.

"I'm just saying," she said slowly, "maybe you should reconsider your standards."

I didn't dignify that with a response, other than an incredulous look. She huffed and began doodling in her notebook. No longer paying any attention to me.

I looked up from my desk, and saw that Alice was looking at me from her seat by the window, a few rows in front of us. She gave me a timid smile, her usual confident, and slightly mysterious, smirk was nowhere to be found. She turned back towards the blackboard, when our teacher walked into the classroom, and I sighed soundlessly.

Maybe I should take Jessica's advice. And reconsider my standards. Was Mike really that creepy? Yes, he was. Was Alice really that insane and freaky? Well, yeah, maybe. I wondered if my standards weren't the only things needing revising, my priorities in life obviously needed an once-over too.

Alice wanted me, for whatever reason, to eat with them at lunch. So why didn't I just take her up on her offer? Would it really be that bad to be a freak amongst freaks? She obviously knew something about me already, as did Rosalie, so maybe I would gain more than just a bad reputation by hanging out with them?

I shook my head at myself and sighed inwardly.

Ever since I came back to Forks – was it merely two days ago? – my entire view on life had been thrown off balance. My sanctuary was no longer _my_ sanctuary. Jessica was no longer Jessica. I was apparently considered a freak – and not because the secret of my ability had come out, but for the soul reason that I found that the most popular guy in school creepy, and that I didn't like him.

That was pretty ironic. That I feared for being thought off as a freak because of my ability, so it never occurred to me that I could be considered a freak for dozens of other reasons.

And why was it that my reputation suddenly was something I was so concerned about? It wasn't like I ever cared before. Maybe the reason I didn't want to sit with Alice, and the others, at lunch didn't have anything to do with my reputation at all. Maybe the reason was because I was simply scared.

Scared about what Alice knew. Scared about what Alice would tell me.

And mostly, scared that she didn't know anything at all.


	7. Reevaluating Preferences

**A/N:** As promised, here is a slightly longer chapter than the past ones. I'm getting deeper into the story now, introducing more of the mystery. And maybe another dream-visit… _or is it_? ;-)

And I wanna thank you guys who have reviewed the story so far, it's nice to know that people are enjoying reading the story. :-D Please keep on reviewing, even if you don't like the story. No reviews are bad reviews… as long as they're not plain mean :-)

If you have any questions about the story, don't hesitate to send me a PM, I'll happily answer to what I can. And YES, Edward will appear soon, and he will not be bumping into someone in the hallway, and he might actually have something to say… but not quite yet ;-)

Anyhoo, enough dilly dally, let's get down to business. Here is Chapter 6 – enjoy!

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 6 – "Reevaluating Preferences"**

"_**Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget**__**"  
**_ ~ unknown

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jessica ignored me for the rest of the class. I felt oddly relaxed by that fact. But as son as the class let out, she was back by my side hooking arms with me. She obviously wasn't one for grudges, and for some reason this irritated me. Not because she wasn't one for grudges, but because she didn't realize that she had put her foot in her mouth by comparing me to "the freaks". Was she really that dense, thinking that her words didn't have any effect on people? Or did she simply not care?

Maybe the popular-gene in her made her think that she could say anything she wanted and get away with it. Isn't that how it was for all popular people anyway? Just look at Edward freakin Cullen. He could get away with pushing people around in the hallway, and people stop and defend _him_ and not the person he victimized. Maybe that was it. The popular-gene had kicked in, in Jessica, and she just assumed I would let it go and let bygones be bygones. Because she was popular, and popular people gets to be forgiven even though they don't deserve it.

But that wasn't me. I would not let it go. And usually, I wasn't one for grudges either. But this was different. And I had been stupid to believe that things would go back to how it was four years ago.

I wasn't sure what bugged me the most though, the fact that Jessica used her popularity to get away with things, or that she changed at all? The insecure Jessica from four years ago wasn't that much fun to hang around to begin with, because her self-esteem got in the way in everything we did.

We couldn't go shopping – because she thought everything would look hideous on her. We couldn't go to the movies – because she was afraid of sitting next to people she didn't know, in the dark. We couldn't go out to the frozen yoghurt place – because she thought everybody was going to look at her, and judge her and think she was fat, and that she shouldn't be eating anything other than celery for the rest of her natural born life… and so on, and so forth.

But in the end; that didn't matter. Because she was my friend, and we did have a lot of fun together once she got passed all her insecurities. We used to put out blankets in my backyard and watch the stars, and make up silly stories about the people and creatures that were living in the different galaxies. We used to pretend there were another Bella and another Jessica out there, doing the exact same thing that we were. Our imagination had no limits when we were stargazing.

And that was one thing I've missed in Jacksonville – nothing beats the starry skies of Forks (those rare times the sky wasn't covered in clouds, that is).

And maybe, just maybe, the thing that bugged me wasn't what Jessica said at all. Maybe it wasn't even about her. Maybe it was about me.

Jessica wasn't the only one with insecurities when we were growing up. I had a closet full of insecurities, and I still do, but I knew better than to wear it on my sleeve like she did. I hid it, and I hid it well. Honestly, how could I've not have insecurities? I was a freak for crying out loud.

Try to act normal around people after you've just spent the night witnessing them doing God knows what. Try to act normal around them, knowing that you know more about their subconscious than even they do. I had every reason to feel bad about everything about myself. But the more I acted like nothing was wrong, the easier it was to handle.

And I assume that Jessica finally found that out, on her own, when I moved away. When she had to pull herself together, because I was no longer there to do it for her.

Jessica was my best friend for thirteen years. We'd known each other literally our whole life. She didn't have any other friends, neither did I, while growing up. Yeah, we played with other kids in school and everything. But after school there was only the two of us.

With me gone, she had no other choice than to pick herself up and grow a spine. Because, without me, she had no one. And without her, I had no one. We were alone together. But it still was pretty surprising that during these short four years, she had managed to not only become more confident, but to also become one of the most popular girls in school.

And what had I accomplished during that very same timeframe? I had managed to become an even sadder excuse for a person, since I had no social life to speak of at all in Jacksonville. The only time I even went out was when Phil dragged me off, because he felt sorry for me. So basically, I was in the same place I was four years ago. With no progression what so ever.

That was probably what was bugging me the most. That she had evolved and become this… person. A person who I honestly didn't like. Her whole attitude was bugging the hell out of me, and the way she talked on and on and on about stuff that I didn't give a shit about. And that she didn't give a shit if I gave a shit or not. She probably just liked the way her voice sounded, not really caring who listened. There wasn't even an ounce of the old Jessica left in this shallow shell of a person. The old Jessica was funny, she would crack the craziest jokes, but I doubt that this new Jessica would even recognize a joke even if it jumped up and bit her in the ass.

I would not have been surprised if it turned out that she had only clung to me, on my first day back, because I reminded her about her past, and not because she had missed me or wanted me back as her friend. With her fearing that her life would somehow go back to that, just because I was back.

After all, that was what I had hoped for. To go back to the way things used to be. I hoped, she feared.

But now, I didn't hope for anything. With Jessica's snarky comment about me, and implying that I was a freak, was all I needed to confirm that she wasn't _my_ Jessica anymore. She was just _a_ Jessica. And I like to believe that if I really wanted her friendship, I would have kept in touch. If I really loved her so much as a friend, I would have kept in touch. And I didn't. I didn't keep in touch, and to be honest, it had been ridiculously easy and painless to cut my strings to her. We probably weren't as good friends as we thought; we were just friends out of necessity, because it was easy and simple.

Her comment about me being a freak was innocent, she probably didn't mean it. She was just confused and couldn't understand why I didn't like Mike, and then lashed out. It shouldn't have been a big deal, and in reality; it wasn't. It just became a big deal because of what I realized afterwards.

That I rather be a freak amongst freaks, than to reform who I was.

Because I was a freak, and there was nothing that could change that. And I could never like Mike fucking Newton, I would never be caught dead in strappy colorful tops, and I would never call people I've never met before 'freaks'. Hell, I would _never _call someone a freak. An idiot? Yes. An asshat? Yes. A damn son of a bitch with a superior complex? You betcha. But never a freak. Never. Because how could I call someone that, when I knew I was so much more of a freak than anyone else could ever be? I couldn't, that's how.

Now, all I could do was hope that Alice hadn't given up on me, and that her invitation to lunch with them was still in effect. And that they weren't insane or crazy. For some reason it never occurred to me that they're reputation as freaks could be based on more than rumors (even though Jessica claimed they had "facts"). Just because Alice "predicted" a girl's death, doesn't it mean she was a freak… oh okay, that was pretty freaky. Even in my standards. But if she had the "power" to foresee the future, then we obviously had more in common than I would ever have with Jessica. And she might just understand what my "power" was all about, since she obviously knew about Jessica's dream.

With Jessica's arm, still hooked with mine, we walked through the hall towards our Advanced Math-class. I was thinking about how I was supposed to tell her that I wasn't interested in being her friend again. That we were too different. But how was one supposed to go about that? How does one tell a friend that you don't want to be friends anymore, because you're too different and that frankly; you rather be a freak amongst freaks, or a freak all on your own, than be friends with that particular friends? Answer? You don't.

"…party, we should go to the mall," she exclaimed excitedly, I guess I had toned her out for quite a while, I didn't even realize she was talking. I glanced over at her, noticing how content and happy she looked. Like we didn't have a fight not even an hour ago. Like everything was alright with the world. Did she really not notice at all that I was offended by her earlier comment? Apparently not.

"Why don't you use that skanky top you bought?" I said under my breath, not really thinking she would hear me anyway. When she got going with her talking, she scarcely noticed anything else, so why would this time be any different? But just because I assumed she was too wrapped up in her own little world to bother listening to what other people was saying; of course she would hear me.

"Skanky? _Skanky?_You told me to buy it! You said it was cute!" she shrieked, as she stopped mid-step. I sighed and resisted the urge to roll my eyes. The only thing that was missing was her stomping her foot in the ground like a four-year-old throwing a tantrum.

"I never said it was _cute_," I said in defense, even though I knew she had me. And I felt ridiculous for even fighting her on this. Like semantics was the problem here.

"Whatever, Bella," she said and crossed her arms over her chest, "It's an awesome top. And you're just jealous that you wouldn't… fill it out. So to speak." She said the last part with a satisfied smirk and a casual raise of her eyebrow.

"Oh please," I snorted, "At least I don't look like a freakin monkey!"

As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Her smirk was wiped off, and her mouth was gaping open. I knew I hit a little too close to home with that comment, for all I knew that whole monkey-deal might have been a frequent thing in her dreams.

And by the look of those tears in her eyes, I knew I definitely hit too close to home.

"You suck, Bella, you know that? You fucking suck! Fucking freak! I wish you never came back!" she yelled at me, before running off with tears running down her cheeks.

I considered running after her, and apologize. But I found myself stuck to the ground. I couldn't move, because even though I regretted the words; I did not regret the intention behind them. I needed to put her in her place, but I could have done it in a classier way. And not use her subconscious against her. That was unfair, beyond unfair.

I sighed, and continued my walk to my class.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jessica didn't make it to Advanced Math, and our class afterwards got cancelled, so we had a free hour before lunch. I was walking aimlessly through the almost empty halls, when I finally saw her. She was standing by her locker, with Lauren, they were laughing and talking. And by the looks of Jessica, one would never think she had been crying at all… but I guess she had enough time to pull herself together. Maybe my words didn't hurt her as much as I thought?

I hesitantly made my way towards them, unsure what I was supposed to do now. I was just a few feet away when Lauren pulled the death glare on me.

"Freak," she spat and made me stop dead in my tracks.

Jessica turned her head and looked at me, her eyes empty and cold. Like she didn't know me, and that she didn't care that she didn't know me.

I had been too much of a nobody in Jacksonville to have friends, let alone enemies, and here I was, on my third day, making enemies like nobody's business. Awesome.

I sighed, and turned around, and walked back the way I had come from. No need to confront Jessica about anything. This was what I wanted after all.

I walked around a corner and I saw Alice walk out of the girl's bathroom, and towards me. I noted that she didn't walk like regular people. She wasn't really walking, and it wasn't really skipping, but the way she made her way through the hall gave me a carefree vibe. Like she just didn't care, and she was happy despite of what people thought of her. She looked like someone who just enjoyed living. I couldn't help but smile at the sight. She was like a grown child in a way. I wished I could have been that carefree and happy.

"Hey there, Bella," she said as she reached me, "You skipping class too?" She smiled widely, without a hint of a smirk. I guess it was on vacation for the day.

"No, class got cancelled," I replied with a shrug.

"That's good, then I don't need to roam these halls alone," she said, her voice chipper. She hooked arms with me and I had no other choice than to follow her when she started walking again. I didn't mind though, it felt good.

We walked outside, since the weather was nice for a change, and sat down by the tables outside the cafeteria. I sat down on the seat, and cupped my hands on the table. She sat down on the table itself, and leaned back on her arms. Soaking in the sun.

"How are you doing today?" she asked, without looking at me.

"I'm alright, I guess, why wouldn't I be?" I asked.

She turned her head slightly, and looked at me with her one eye closed because of the sun.

"Because of your fight with Jessica, she really got to you didn't she?" she said, while making it sound like a statement more than a question. I nodded hesitantly.

"Yeah, she did, but I've known her all my life… or at least, up until four years ago, so of course I take offense in things she say," I replied.

"Things change in four years. I'm sure you're not the same person you were back then either," she said, and I snorted at that.

"That's the thing though, I'm exactly the same. Those four years haven't changed me a bit. I'm still the same old Bella," I sighed, and thought about how I came to that same conclusion not too long ago.

"Oh, you've changed. You just can't see it, since it's you. You were there for each and every one of those small changes in yourself, so you never saw them happening. Therefore, you can't see that you are not the same person anymore… if you were the same person I doubt you would sit here with me right now. Instead you would be inside with monkey-girl and apologize for your comment… if you were the same person you wouldn't have thrown that comment in her face like that to begin with," Alice said, and I looked at her in awe. I never really thought about it that way.

She turned her face and looked at me again with one eye, and smiled.

"You didn't see that one coming, huh?" she teased, and I shook my head.

"Obviously not," I said, chuckling lightly.

She smiled widely and turned her head again.

"I really think you should sit with us at lunch. I promise you we're not as freaky as they make us out to be… _we're freakier_," she said with a laugh.

I couldn't help but laugh with her.

"To be honest, I think I belong with the freaks more than I belong with… whatever you guys call Jessica and her people," I replied.

"Emmett will be glad, he has had his eyes on you ever since you came back," she said.

I felt my stomach tightened by the thought of that big guy Emmett.

"Why?" I asked nervously.

She laughed again, that reminded me of the musical sound of bell chimes. Of course everything about Alice was perfect and beautiful; even her laugh. It was a wonder that I didn't get an inferior-complex in her presence.

"Because he's Emmett," she replied, like that explained everything. She peeked at me again, and when she noticed my confused expression she laughed softly, "Emmett isn't that bad, he's like a big teddy bear, and he likes to tease people. And he said as soon as you stepped into this school that you looked like a girl that would be fun to tease, because he thought you could take it, not like Rosalie… she doesn't appreciate his humor…"

"But I thought they were together?" I said confused.

"They are, but that doesn't mean that Emmett gets away with the things he says… he can be pretty blunt to say the least, and that's why it's so good that he has Rosalie to put him in his place when he goes too far… they complement each other very well," she said, "You'll love him, trust me."

I nodded, choosing to trust her. I looked at her profile for a while, she looked so peaceful, leaning back on her arms and letting the sun warm her face like that. She smiled suddenly and a little chuckle escaped her.

"Ask me," she said, sounding amused.

"Ask you what?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Why I'm so interested in getting to know you, why I kept pushing myself on you, and why I keep pushing for you to eat lunch with us," she said, without looking at me.

I bit my lip and looked down on my cupped hands. I did want to ask her that, but it made me uncomfortable that she knew that before I consciously thought of it myself. We were quiet for another few moments before I did ask her.

"So… why is that?" I whispered.

She sighed, and jumped off the table in a quick movement, and sat down on the seat across from me.

"You're different," she said simply, and she held up a hand when I opened my mouth to respond to that, "don't. Don't say anything. We both know that you are, alright? And I think it's beneficial for you to be friends with us, instead of wasting time you don't have with people like Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton."

The bare mention of Mike Newton made me snort.

"Yeah, like spending too much time with Mike was ever gonna be an issue for me," I replied sarcastically, she rolled her eyes.

"That was not what I meant," she sighed, "Like I said, I think it's beneficial for you. Because things are happening, and they have been happening for quite a while now. Things have been put in motion, and we need you. Simple as that."

I looked at her incredulously. What was she even talking about? And what the hell did she mean that our friendship would be "beneficial"? Since when was a friendship ever supposed to be "beneficial"?

"I don't get it," I replied honestly and leaned back slightly. And she sighed.

"I know you don't, but this is neither the time nor place to get into it, alright? Let's just go to lunch and talk with the others, and then we can decide when to talk about this more seriously… okay?" she said and looked at me kindly, and I nodded.

There was no chance in hell that I could say no to this, even if she didn't hold the answers I needed, I still would probably get a fun experience out of it… whatever this "thing" was. I couldn't hide from life any longer, I needed to experience things. I could not – I _would_ not - let my ability get the better off me.

"Good," she said and stood up, "C'mon, let's get to lunch."

She held out a hand to me, and I took it without a second thought.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Alice and I got in line for lunch, and I grabbed an apple, a soda and a slice of the sorry excuse they called pizza in this place. And we were just about to walk over to their usual table when someone called out to me.

"Hey Bella, where ya going? We're sitting like… right here?" Jacob hollered at me, from their table. I threw a glance at him, and saw that Tyler was looking weirdly at me too. But both Lauren and Jessica were ignoring the hell out of me.

"No, I'm sitting there today," I replied and nodded towards (what would hopefully be) my new table.

I don't know whether or not it was my imagination or not, but it suddenly went very quiet. And I felt more than one pair of eyes on me. I smiled apologetically at Jacob, before heading towards my new table. As soon as I did, all the talk picked up again. But somehow it didn't sound the same anymore. Or maybe it was just me being paranoid. Wouldn't be the first time.

Rosalie and Emmett were already seated when we reached the table. I took the first empty seat that I saw and sat down. I smiled timidly at Rosalie and Emmett – Rosalie gave me a soft smile in return, but Emmett was smiling so widely I thought his face just might break.

"Bella!" he exclaimed loudly and I was taken aback at his sudden outburst.

"Yes… that's me," I said, laughing nervously.

"Don't scare her, Em," Rosalie sighed, "Let her sit down and eat before you scar her for life."

"You're no fun, babe," Emmett pouted, but did as he was told. I chuckled quietly at the sight of big scary Emmett pouting. And I guess his reaction showed who wore the pants in their relationship.

"Don't mind him," Rosalie said and looked at me, "He's just a big baby."

Emmett huffed, but didn't argue with that, which made me smile. I guess Alice was right; he was a big teddy bear.

"Can I kill him? Please? It won't even be considered murder… it would be charity!"

Jasper plopped down on the empty chair next to Alice with a frustrated frown on his otherwise flawless face.

"Coach still being a bitch?" Emmett asked. And Jasper nodded.

"Like you wouldn't believe. He made us run suicides for ever… half the guys passed out," Jasper sighed, and pulled of the cap of his water bottled and put it to his lips, half the content of the bottle was gone within seconds, "but what did I expect after the night he had last night…"

Emmett found that funny for some reason, as he laughed so loud it echoed through the cafeteria. I was confused by their behavior, or at least his, for the past two days I hadn't heard a noise from their table. No laughs, no chuckles, they even spoke quietly almost whispering to one another. But now, for some reason, they didn't care how much attention they were bringing on themselves – especially Emmett.

"And what kind of night did he have exactly?" Rosalie asked with an amused smile.

Jasper was just about to answer when Alice put her hand to cover his mouth.

"We're not having those conversations here," she said sternly and gave Rosalie a pointed look.

Rosalie looked confused for a moment, before letting her eyes wander to me then back to Alice.

"You didn't tell her?" she asked with a disappointed sigh.

"No, of course not!" Alice replied harshly, "That's not really someone you spring on someone between classes, for crying out loud. It's not a five minute conversation!"

"Oh c'mon! Like she doesn't already know that something is going on!" Rosalie exclaimed in frustration, "How long are we supposed to dance this dance? Things are happening, people are gonna get hurt! I know she's only been here for three days, but c'mon already!"

If I was confused before, it was nothing compared to what I was feeling now. I turned to look at Alice, seeing as she was the one I connected with first.

"The thing you said… about things getting in motion… and things happening… are people gonna get hurt because of that? Or is this something totally different?" I asked.

"Oh so she told you that at least? Well that's always something," Rosalie replied in Alice's place, "Yes, things have been put in motion, and things are happening. And yes, people are gonna get hurt. Just like Ange-"

"Don't you dare fucking say her name!" Alice snapped, and standing up so fast her chair was knocked back. Rosalie looked remorseful as she smiled softly at Alice.

"I'm sorry, Al, but you know we don't have any time to waste, and we don't know how good Bella is yet… it's possible she will require training and that will waste any more time. So I'm sorry, Al, but we really need to get her up to speed on everything as soon as possible."

Alice was breathing deeply, trying to get her anger under control. She slowly pulled her chair up and sat down.

"Okay," Alice said finally, her voice composed, "Why don't we arrange everything on Friday? We could have a sleepover at my place."

Rosalie nodded and put her hand on Alice's on the table and gave it a squeeze.

"Friday is perfect," she replied, before looking back at me, "Bella, you wouldn't mind going on a sleepover on Friday?"

I shook my head slowly.

"I guess not?" I replied with a nervous chuckle. Alice's mood swings was unsettling, but their cryptic words were even more so.

"Sleepovers at Alice's are the most fun, you'll love it," Rosalie said, glancing at Alice, her choice of words were probably more for Alice's benefit than mine.

"And the best thing is that it's not a kiddy sleepover either, the guys are welcome too," Emmett said and smiled widely.

"Speaking of guys, you mind telling Edward of our plans?" Rosalie said.

"Yeah, I'll tell him," Jasper agreed.

"And tell him that he can't bail this time. I'm tired of his antics. We need his sorry ass too," Alice sighed.

"Yes, dear, I'll tell him that too," Jasper smiled and stroked her cheek.

I took a bite of my pizza and immediately put it down – it tasted like rubber. Disgusting.

"What's the deal with Edward anyway?" I asked, and dried my fingers on a napkin.

"Oh Edward, the rebel without a cause…" Emmett mused.

"A cause without a rebel," Rosalie said under her breath and Emmett chuckled.

"That doesn't really answer my question," I argued, and Jasper smiled.

"Edward is Edward. He comes and goes and does things as he sees fit. He doesn't care about stuff, but he knows that this stuff is important, not even he can argue that. He can be a handful at times-"

"A handful? He can be a pain in the ass is more like it," Rosalie said, cutting off Jasper.

"Yes, Rose, that would be the uncensored version. But I'm trying not to scare Bella off, okay?" Jasper replied pointedly and Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Anyways, yes, to put it bluntly; he's a fucking pain. He thinks he's better than everyone else because of what he does, and he has a tendency to let his mouth talk before his brain even registers… he's not a bad guy per say, he's just a… moody bastard. He has commitment and intimacy issues… But I would too with his past… but yeah, Edward is a handful."

I smiled crookedly at the description; I wasn't surprised that even his friends thought he was an ass, but I guess he must have some good sides since they were still hanging out with him. If it wasn't all about what he could do – whatever that was.

Someone cleared their throat behind me, and I turned around slowly.

"Eh… Bella? Can I talk to you for a minute?" Phil asked awkwardly, with his hands in his pockets.

"I'll be right back," I said to the others, and stood up and walked a few feet away with my brother, "What?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" he hissed, "What the hell are you doing sitting with those people?"

I sighed and looked towards the table – neither of them was looking at us, but I could tell they were still paying attention to our conversation. I looked back at Phil.

"Yeah, I'm gonna sit there, you have a problem with that?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Do you _want_ to commit social suicide? Yeah, I know you were a social outcast in Jacksonville, but c'mon! You don't need to purposely hang out with the wrong people," he said angrily.

"And since when do I care about the social ladder and life anyway?" I asked, "I never cared about being a social outcast in Jacksonville… so why would I care now?"

I looked at him expectantly, and I saw how my words made sense to him, and he sighed in exasperation.

"Seriously, sis, just because you're not a social person it doesn't mean you belong with the… the… _freaks,"_ he spat out the last word like it was poisonous and I glared at him.

"That proves how much you know," I retorted, "And believe it or not, I do belong by that table."

"Suit yourself, but don't come crying to me when they predict your death," he spat, before walking away. I rolled my eyes at his behavior, even though he may be right. But I wouldn't know anything about it until Friday night, so I decided not to worry about it until then.

I walked back over to the table and sat down.

"So you're a freak huh?" Emmett said with a smile.

"Obviously, since I'm willingly sitting next to you," I retorted with a teasing smile.

He smiled widely and laughed.

"I love her!" he said and pointed at me excitedly while bouncing in his seat.

"Yes, Emmett, we know," Rosalie said calmly and patted his back, like he was child.

But he didn't let that discourage him; he just kept on smiling mischievously and I silently wondered if I should be scared. Because when a big guy like Emmett smiles at you like that; you run.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

For the first time in my life, I literally fell asleep with my face in my homework. The load of homework I've gotten that day was ridiculous, and I wasn't entirely sure that that amount was even legal. But I still prodded through them, and falling asleep somewhere between my Math-assignment and the essay in English that was due Monday.

I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep, until I opened my eyes and found myself embraced by the beautiful, wonderful, white fog. I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, smiling in content. Just me and the white fog and… dear God, _no_!

"_You keep popping up here, can't get a hint?"_ the shadow, belonging to the male with the beautiful voice, asked me. I sighed, feeling how the feeling of content left me. Fantastic. Not even in my fog could I get away from infuriating people.

"_Why don't you just ignore me, and I'll ignore you? I'm sure this place is big enough for the both of us. I'm tired and I just want to relax, okay?" _I said.

He snorted, but luckily he didn't fight me on this.

I lay down on the foggy ground, that was neither hard nor soft, and took a deep relaxing breath. Just trying to let everything go, and just _be_. I hadn't been in the white fog since the first night here. That was three days. Four nights. _Wow_.

That amazed me, since it usually could be up to ten or fourteen days between rounds. And now I had two in half a week. And I was grateful. I always felt more relaxed, and well rested, after a visit in the fog. It was almost like it was my only source of energy, since visiting other people's dreams usually left me feeling drained, and when would wake up in the morning it would feel like I hadn't slept at all.

I tried to ignore the shadow – that I kept seeing in the corner of my eye – and just enjoy the feeling of being totally relaxed and reenergized. Well, as relaxed one could be with a shadow staring at you.

"_Seriously, what the fuck are you doing here? You've never been here before. And now you turn up twice in a week. Shall I be worried?" _the voice asked, interrupting my train of thought.

I sat up and hugged my knees, while looking straight at – what I assumed was – the shadow's face.

"_I could ask you the same thing, I always used to be alone here. And now you're here for God knows what reason. So don't give me crap about this being your place, because I've been coming here since I was a little kid, and never have I seen or heard you here before," _I argued.

He laughed humorlessly, and the sound echoed around me.

"_This is just perfect… the only place where I can relax and not give a shit about the world… and now I have to share it?_" he muttered, mostly to himself.

He kept on muttering as he paced back and forth. And I felt oddly sorry for the guy, even though the feeling of intrusion was mutual. I sighed and leaned back on my arms. The white fog surrounded me like smoke. I wondered, like many times before, why my dream was a fog. Was it because I had no imagination, or that my subconscious thought it would be more relaxing for me, not seeing any other different places, like other people?

I looked at the shadow, as he kept on pacing, but no longer muttering to himself.

"_How do I know you're even a real person, and not a fidget of my imagination?" _I asked, surprising myself with the sudden question, the question hadn't even registered in my mind.

"_And once again… I could ask you the very same thing," _he sighed, no longer sounding angry. Just tired, "_I guess it's a lost cause of telling you to get lost… so why don't we just do what you suggested earlier? Let's just ignore each other. I don't feel like being social at the moment… there's a reason I chose to come here tonight, alright?"_

"_Alright."_

It appeared as if the shadow nodded, in acknowledgement of our new agreement.

I silently wondered what he had meant by that thing he said, "_there's a reason I chose to come here tonight_", did he have a choice in the matter? Could he come and go as he pleased? But why would he chose this place, if he knew I would be here too? Maybe he didn't know, since this was only the second time we had "met" each other. Hopefully, he would understand that I would in fact be back, and that he would chose a new place to pop up in. And hopefully find other people to annoy.

I turned around, so I sat with my back against him. I leaned back on my arms yet again, and closed my eyes. Never minding the shadow, whose invisible eyes I felt on me.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


	8. Reunion

**A/N:** Well, well… I guess I just couldn't help myself. I hadn't planned on updating today (I've updated every day since I put up the story, yikes!) but when inspiration is flowing, why try and stop it? And since I managed to write the entire chapter, I might as well put it up :-)

And I must say that the response I've gotten on the story is way over my expectations, with many people putting it on their Favorite-lists and Story Alert. Thank you guys! It means a lot.

And you know how much authors loves reviews…so… *hint hint*

This chapter contains a little bit of everything. And I hope you guys like it 

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 7 – "Reunion"**

"_**It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.**__**"  
**_ ~ Oscar Wilde

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When I entered my first class, I chose to sit down next to Alice, who smiled brightly at me. And by doing this I was officially breaking up with Jessica. I didn't think she would care though, seeing how she glared at me and called me freak the day before. But now, when I threw a fleeting glance in her direction I saw how her mouth dropped open in shock, and I swear I saw a flash of hurt flicker pass her face. I frowned slightly as I turned my eyes back to Alice; she was looking at Jessica too. Her expression tired, she sighed and looked at me with a soft smile.

"She'll get over it," she said quietly, "Let's just say she wasn't herself yesterday…"

She looked at me in a way that made me think she wanted to tell me something telepathically, but I really couldn't figure out what. I sighed deeply.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter if she was herself or not, it still bugged me, her whole attitude about life bugs me… so, let's just drop it, okay?" I said, and Alice nodded.

"Of course," she smiled, "So when are you coming over tomorrow? We usually get together around six and order pizza, and just hang out for a while before we get into… _stuff_…"

She had been about to say something else, but corrected herself in time. I bit my lip and looked down on my notebook, on the desk. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye.

"You guys aren't into… drugs or anything, are you?" I asked, feeling slightly stupid that it never occurred to me earlier that that was a plausible explanation to why people disliked them so much, and why they were acting so strange and secretive. Maybe they thought I had means to get a hold on stuff like that? I snorted inwardly at that; of course they didn't think that. It was too early in the day for me to let my paranoia get the best of me.

Alice chuckled at my question, and she seemed to be more amused than offended by my question.

"No, we're not into drugs," she said and patted my hand on the desk, "but then again… it depends on how you define _drugs_," she added with a wink, before bursting into her musical laughter.

I was not comforted by her words. They just got me more nervous.

"Are you trying to freak me out, because you are," I said honestly.

"Oh silly Bella, you got nothing to worry about. We won't hurt you, and we won't make you do something you don't want to do. We just want to talk to you about the thing, and maybe show you a thing or two… okay? Nothing dangerous, I promise. And nothing embarrassing," she assured me.

She bore her blue eyes at me, as if she once again was trying to convey something telepathically. I smiled timidly at her; this time getting what she wanted to convey. She wanted me to trust her, and even though I knew nothing about her, and even though she had given me plenty of reasons to avoid her, I still found myself trusting her.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Woah, Jasper, slow down! What's wrong?" Alice asked in alarm, when Jasper ran past us in the hallway between first and second period. Jasper stopped and turned to us, his face was absolutely livid, he was practically shaking were he stood.

"I can't take it, it's too fucking much, I tried to do what you taught me to, but it's not fucking working. And I can't fucking take it, so I'm leaving," he said anxiously, as he pulled his hands through his already messy hair. Alice looked at him with nothing but love in her eyes, and reached for his hands and removed them from his hair. She kissed his knuckles and smiled softly at him, and he relaxed significantly.

"You sure you can't make it to lunch?" she asked softly, and he nodded.

"I'm sure. It's too much today, baby, I can't…. it's just too much," he sighed, his shoulders slumping making him look defeated. She nodded and kissed his knuckles again.

"Okay, then you should leave. Call me during lunch, and let me know how you're doing," she said and he smiled timidly at her.

"Of course," he said and leaned down and kissed her chastely on the lips, before walking away. Alice followed him with her eyes, and sighed deeply.

"Poor Jazzy," she said quietly.

"What was wrong with him? He looked... well, to be frank, he looked pissed," I said bluntly.

She sighed again and hooked arms with me, and started walking.

"That's also something that probably will get explained tomorrow, it's not really a hallway-conversation, if you know what I mean?" she said and gave me a friendly shove.

"Is there something wrong with him? Is he sick or something?" I asked hesitantly, hoping I wasn't crossing any lines by asking.

"No, he's not sick," she said, "but… yeah, there's something wrong with him. But then again… I wouldn't necessarily say it's something _wrong _with him, it's just that… he get's overwhelmed, let's just leave it at that."

Her tone left no room for argument, and I felt a little bad for even asking. My lack of social skills was even worse than I thought; me having no sense of discretion what so ever. Who was I to go snooping into their life like that; especially when she already said it was not something you talked about in a crowded hallway. If this had been four years ago, then I would have known better than to ask things out of morbid curiosity, apparently that was another thing that had changed over the years, or maybe Alice and the others just brought it out of me – being so mysterious and cryptic all the time, of course I got curious and asked. Even if it I did have bad timing.

"You don't mind that I asked, do you?" I asked after a moment. She shook her head without even the slightest hesitation.

"Of course not, I understand that you're wondering what we're about, and I would hate being in your shoes… all questions no answers… Jasper feels for you, you know? He's been there too, and in a way, he's still there… not really able to grasp things and do things they way he's supposed to, and that's another reason we need you, we need to be as strong as we can be. Safety in numbers and all that," she said and gestured with her hand, "So, six o'clock tomorrow?"

I nodded.

"That works for me… but I don't know where you live," I said.

"Jasper called Edward last night, and he promised he would be there, and since you're neighbors I bet he could give you a ride," she said, trying to sound convincing, but I could tell even she doubt it. And I wasn't so sure I wanted to be stuck in a car with him for god knows how long; and then be forced to hang out with him for the rest of the night. She noticed my hesitant expression and sighed.

"I'll give you my address, it's just a fifteen minute drive from your place," she said and unhooked her arm from me, and ruffled around her bag for a moment, before pulling out a purple notebook. She turned to an empty page and scribbled down her address, "I'll put down my cell phone number and e-mail as well… I guess that will come in handy," she said with a quiet laugh, before ripping the page out and handing it to me at the same time as the bell rang.

"That's my cue," I said with a sigh, dreading the next hour.

"See you at lunch?" Alice asked.

I almost laughed at that.

"Yes, you'll see me at lunch… wouldn't wanna sit with the freaks, now would I?" I joked, referring to Jessica and her crowd. Alice laughed.

"Yeah, wouldn't wanna do that!" she agreed.

I smiled, as I turned the corner in the hallway, parting ways with Alice as she turned towards the stairs. Only one dreadful hour, being stuck in the same room with Jessica, before lunch. No biggie. I could do it.

I inwardly groaned when I came into the classroom – everyone was already seated, and of course the only empty seat left was next to Jessica. _That's just fantastic_, I thought to myself as I plopped down on my seat. The teacher, Mr. Banner, entered just a moment later, leaving no room for Jessica to say anything to me; because I knew she was dying to say something. The way she was fidgeting in her seat was a telltale sign, she used to fidget when we were younger too, always when she had something "interesting" to tell me about, or something she was so curious of knowing she was dying to ask.

Mr. Banner began the class by writing several advanced equations on the board, for us to solve. I studied it, and really tried to solve it, when I felt something poke my arm. I looked down and saw that Jessica had passed me a note. I threw her a slightly annoyed glance before reluctantly taking the note; my curiosity taking over.

"_Sorry about yesterday, I didn't mean to imply that you are a freak. Friends?"_

I looked up and met Jessica's expectant gaze, and it almost looked like she expected me to nod, and that was probably why she looked even more shocked when I slowly shook my head. She immediately turned her gaze back to her notebook, and pushed the pencil against the paper so hard I thought it might just break. She pushed the notebook towards me.

"_So what? You're BFF's with the freaks now or something? Those people are crazy! Don't be fooled by that pixie-freak. She's insane! She killed a girl for crying out loud"_

I took her pen and scribbled down a reply.

"_I bet that the only thing you know about them is something you've heard from other people or made up yourself. Alice is really nice, and Emmett is hilarious. And if you even gave them a chance, you would realize that too."_

Just as I finished my note, my head snapped up when Mr. Banner cleared his throat and looked at us expectantly.

"I assume you ladies are busy trying to solve the problem on the board, and not passing notes," he said, with a slightly sarcastic tone, before turning his attention back on a student who had a question.

I gave Jessica one last meaningful glance, hoping she would understand that I wasn't interested in her apologies, before doing what I was supposed to do; solve that stupid math-problem.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I filled my tray with the usual in the food line, before heading towards the others. I was slightly taken aback when I noticed that Edward had honored us with his presence, and I clenched my jaw when I realized I had to sit next to him. I took a deep breath, and pulled myself together. I was intending on taking the advice I gave Jessica – to get to know someone, before judging them. And I didn't know Edward… and I_ really_ didn't want to either. His pompous attitude bugged me to no end.

I silently sat down, and glanced over at Edward.

"Edward, you met Bella?" Alice said.

"Yeah, I think I've run into her," he said with a confident smirk, apparently enjoying his little joke.

"Yeah, and as I remember you were too busy to help me pick up the stuff you made me drop," I said and raised an eyebrow at him. He nodded, and leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yes, I was busy, thanks for understanding," he said calmly, silently challenging me with his eyes. But I was not going to bite.

"A better guy would have stopped and helped, instead of just grinning and walking off," I said, "but I guess that's just it… you're not a better guy."

"Oh, I'm hurt!" he said, putting his hand to his heart and pouted.

I stared at him, wondering what the fuck his deal was. And as I stared, I found myself feeling… lost. His eyes were the most amazing shade of emerald, and his messy hair pointed in every direction, with a few hair strands hanging in front of his eyes. He was pale, but not abnormally so, just paler than the average Forks-citizen. His defined jaw was shadowed slightly; it looked like he hadn't shaved in a couple of days. And he looked utterly…

_Oh hell no_, I thought to myself. I had a feeling that if I kept my eyes on him, it would not end well. I pulled my gaze away from him and tried to inwardly shake off the weird feeling he was stirring in me. I was no Jessica. I was not going to fall for him, and accept his jerky behavior just because he was gorgeous.

I heard him chuckle humorlessly to himself, probably noting my reaction, and I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. What the hell was wrong with me? Since when did I care about guys? Especially overly confident, cocky guys like Edward? I had never even had a crush… well, okay. Once. But that was a long time ago.

"Where's Jasper?" Emmett asked suddenly, as if he just got aware of the fact that someone was missing.

"He left earlier," Alice replied.

"Oh no, how bad was it this time?" Rosalie asked, sounding concerned.

"Not as bad as before, but still… pretty bad," Alice replied and Rosalie nodded.

They shared a look that said everything to them, and nothing to me. I guess it wasn't the first time Jasper got "overwhelmed" and left school. After I had finished solving the problems in Math, I had been left with nothing to do for thirty minutes, so I had let my mind wander. And it had chosen to wander to Jasper, and I spent thirty minutes pondering on what was going on with him. What could possibly have made him so "overwhelmed" that he had to skip the rest of the day? And I assumed that the reason he looked pissed all the time was because of whatever was wrong with him.

"Earth to Bella?" Emmett said, throwing a French fry at me, and hitting me straight on the nose. I looked up and saw him grinning. I scrunched my nose and picked up a napkin, to wipe the grease off.

"Sorry, I guess I was lost in thought… you were saying?" I asked, crumpling up my napkin.

"Alice was saying you might need a ride tomorrow, apparently we're neighbors?" Edward said with a bored tone, poking his pizza with his plastic fork.

"Yeah, we are," I said with a sigh.

He glanced over at me.

"Since when? As far as I know the only neighbors I have is the crazy old lady across the street, a family with the ugliest baby ever and a middle aged couple next door," he said, and I chuckled darkly.

"Well, the crazy old lady you're referring to would be my grandma, so thanks for that," I said sarcastically, "we moved in with her when she got sick…"

"Whatever, I don't care, do you want a ride or not?" he asked impatiently, boring his eyes at me. I stared back, resenting his tone.

"Yes, I would love a ride, but I doubt I would fit in your car… since your ego probably takes up all the space," I replied.

He rolled his eyes and sighed loudly.

"Do you want a ride or _not_? I'm gonna leave at exactly five fifty-five pm tomorrow, okay? If you want a ride I advice you to be by my car. Is that okay, ms. Snarkypants?" he said calmly.

"Peachy," I replied and gave him a broad fake smile.

He stood up abruptly and threw a glance at the others.

"Well I'm off, I'll see you guys tomorrow night," he said.

"What? You're ditching again?" Emmett complained, "C'mon! What about gym? We're supposed to kick Newton's ass!"

"What can I say? I'm pulling a Jasper," Edward smirked as he walked off.

Emmett groaned and slumped in his seat, Rosalie was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, silently waiting for an explanation. Emmett groaned again.

"We're playing football today, alright? And Newton is never on our team, so we would be able to kick his ass without getting punished for it… but it's never as fun when I'm alone. Because what's the fun in kicking someone's ass if neither Jasper nor Edward is there to enjoy it with me?" he sighed.

"Oh baby, I feel for you, I do," Rosalie comforted him, "But I'm also oddly glad that that won't be happening… because, sweetie, you would kill him. Not just kick his ass. You would kill him dead."

Emmett smiled his mischievous smile.

"I know."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I sat my book bag down on the floor, by my desk, with a clunk. The day had been the best one yet at school, and I was really starting to enjoy the company of the "freaks", even though their secrets were annoying the hell out of me.

I sat down on my desk chair and looked around my room; it was still lacking all personal touch. The moving company wasn't coming until tomorrow, so I was still living through the suitcase I came with four days ago.

I span round and round on my desk chair, and was so caught up in it that I almost fell of it in surprise when it knocked on my door. I immediately stopped spinning.

"Come in," I said, gripping the sides of the chair in an effort to stay vertical. My head was not agreeing with me – and neither was my stomach.

The door opened, and a familiar old face peeked in.

"Hello Isabella, I hope I'm not interrupting your work," my grandma said, and glanced at my desk.

I smiled widely, I hadn't seen grandma at all since we came here, since she had spent the first two days at the hospital for tests, and when she came home my dad gave us orders of not disturbing her, she needed her rest. So I was beyond happy to see her again, and see that she was well enough to be up on her feet.

I stood up and walked over to her, giving her a hug.

"I've missed you, grandma," I said; as I took a deep breath and let her familiar scent fill my nose. She smelled like lavender, with a hint of moth; I doubted she ever bought new clothes.

"I've missed you to my dear, dear Isabella," she said and pulled back. She put her hands on either side of my face and gazed into my eyes with her old soulful ones. She smiled softly at me. "You've grown up to become a very beautiful young woman my Isabella, you are so beautiful."

I blushed slightly and she kissed my cheeks before letting go. She looked at me with some sort of longing in her eyes, before walking out in the hallway again. I was confused for a moment; thinking she was leaving, but just as I was about to follow her, she returned with two books in her hands.

"And now, when you have aged and are on the verge of becoming an adult, I think you are ready to take on the responsibility you were born to have," she said, I could almost sense a tone of excitement in her words. "This is for you; I think you will find them fairly useful."

As soon as the last words left her mouth, she began to cough violently, her fragile body shook and she had to grip the doorframe in order not to fall over, and she clutched the books to her chest.

"You okay, grams?" I asked anxiously, and she nodded slowly.

"Yes, sweetheart, I'm just old, my body is giving up," she chuckled, "Now, now, take these books before I drop them."

I took the two books she was holding, and looked at them. Neither of them had any writing on the cover, but I could tell one of them was a journal of some sorts – it was a black hardcover book with unlined pages. I turned it around in my hand, looking at it from every angle.

"Don't tell your mother I gave you these," grandma said, as she made her way to my bed and sat down slowly. She patted the space next to her and gestured me to sit down, so I did. "She doesn't approve of this… she never did."

I frowned in confusion, as I looked down on the books in my lap again.

"That, my dear Isabella, is a dream journal," she explained and tapped her finger on the black journal, "and I'm sure you will find it very helpful."

"Helpful for what exactly?" I asked.

She smiled, and patted my back.

"Oh sweet Isabella, I know you have figured out by now that you're not like everybody else. But I do not know how much you already have caught on to? You can catch other people's dreams, yes, but do you know that there is much more to it than just watching them play out. You can step in and change the events," she explained softly, "and by changing the events, you can help the person who is dreaming, and help them solve a problem in their waken life… Say, Bella, have you ever had a dream of your own?"

I was about to shake my head, but nodded in the last second. So it came out like a shaking nodding kind of movement.

"I… I don't know, I don't know if I can call it a dream, but I sometimes find myself in a white fog, and it's just me in there… so I'm assuming that's my own dream," I said hesitantly, feeling a bit weird of talking about this for the first time out loud, "But how did you know I'm… different?"

"It's genetic, I can do what you do too," she said, and took my hand, "or at least, I used to. Before I got old and weak… I have neither the energy nor the desire to catch other people's dreams anymore. I've seen it all; I've helped them all… it's been a while since I caught a dream; it's not my responsibility anymore. It's time for the new generation to take over."

She was quiet for a moment before looking at me again.

"The white fog you were speaking about… How do you feel when you're there?" she asked.

"Safe. Relaxed. Energized… when I dream about that place I always wake up refreshed and content… It's hard to explain I guess… hard to explain why I love it, since it's only white fog…" I said and smiling crookedly.

"Oh, no, I know exactly what you're talking about," she smiled in returned, "it's your sanctuary."

I felt my smile fade slightly in surprise of her chose of words. _Sanctuary._ That's what I always called it. And that was what the Shadow called it.

"My sanctuary is a lake. I'm sitting in a rowboat in the middle of the lake, with nothing surrounding me but water and trees. Not even birds are bothering me. It is very peaceful," she mused, "I spend all my sleeping time there now."

"So you're always alone?" I asked.

Grandma looked slightly surprised at my question, but nodded solemnly.

"Yes, but that's how it's supposed to be. You are not supposed to have visitors in your sanctuary," she replied.

I tried to process that new piece of information when my grandma pointed my attention back to the books.

"In the journal you'll find different techniques in which way you can change and help people in their dreams. And you'll also with different signs you should be on the outlook for when you're out catching, since not all dreams should be altered. The big book however… I'll let you figure that out on your own. This is your journey, your fate. And I'm sure you'll figure it all out…" she said and patted my leg before slowly standing up.

"But what does it all mean? The thing I do… why can I enter people's dreams? It doesn't make any sense," I said totally confused by all this, "and what… what does the white fog mean? The sanctuary?"

My grandma turned to me and smiled softly.

"Your sanctuary is your place to heal. It takes a lot of energy to visit dreams; I'm assuming you don't feel as rested as you should when you wake up after visiting someone's dream," she said, and I nodded, "yes, well. The sanctuary is a place where you'll end up when your body is too tired to visit any dreams. But you can practice and therefore be able to visit your sanctuary whenever you feel like it, not only when you're body is too tired to do anything else. Even if you're only taking a nap… read the journal, and the book, and you'll understand it all better then."

She wobbled her way to the door.

"Grandma?" I said, just as she was about to leave, she stopped with a hand resting on the doorframe and turned to me.

"Yes, dear?"

"So it's impossible to have company in the sanctuary?" I pressed, wanting to make sure.

She smiled softly.

"I've never had company in my sanctuary," was all she said, before turning and left the room.

I browsed the books pages, without really looking, and wondered if the answer was in any of these books. If not in the journal, but maybe in the other one. I thought about bringing them to the sleepover, or would that be weird? If they didn't know anything about dreamcatching, and if their deal was something completely different, then I would surely paint myself off as a total lunatic, and I would officially be out of friends. And that thought alone bothered me more than it should have.

I looked down on the worn books in my lap and replayed everything she had said in my head.

She never said straight out that it was impossible to have company in the sanctuary. She just said that she never did. So that must mean it was possible to have company – why else would the Shadow turn up in mine?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The usual Swan family dinner. If there was anything more painful do endure, I was yet to find it. With mom talking about some woman she had lunch with in Port Angeles; who apparently had "the most annoying dog, and it should have been put down", and with dad not saying anything, just muttering in response to whatever mom was saying.

Grandma didn't join us for dinner; which surprised me. And when I asked dad about it he said she wasn't supposed to leave her bed, and especially not walk down the stairs. I bet he wasn't aware of the fact that she already did leave her bed that day, to visit me in my room. And I knew better than to tell them about the conversation I had with her, knowing my mom she would probably throw a fit and move away with us again if she found out, not caring about grandma at all.

"Phil told me you guys were invited to a party tomorrow, are you planning on going, Bella?" my mom asked me. She was using the slightly condescending tone she always used when she was speaking about my social life – or lack thereof. It was not a secret that she was disappointed in me, that I wasn't the perfect outgoing and popular cheerleader-daughter she so wished to have.

And by her tone I could tell she already thought she knew the answer to the question; she just wanted me to confirm it, so she could sigh and chastise me for not trying harder to get friends. It was like a compulsion to her; to always let me know how disappointed she was in me.

Frankly, it wasn't the first time mom asked me if I was going to some shindig – when she already knew I wasn't. It was like a compulsion to her; to ask me questions she already knew the answers to.

"No, I'm not," I replied, and as expected she did not seem surprised, she just kept on eating, "but I was invited over to a friend's house for a sleepover tomorrow, and I planned on going there, if that's alright?" I added.

Mom literally dropped her fork – along with her jaw – and stared at me in surprise.

"You…what?" she asked bewildered, "That's… wonderful!"

"Geez, mom, it's not like I won a prize or anything," I said sarcastically, feeling slightly offended that me going to a sleepover would get such an effect out of her.

"Who is this friend?" she asked, collecting herself and picking up her fork.

"Her name is Alice, and her friend Rosalie will be there too… and…" I trailed off; realizing that to mention the boys would be present at the sleepover wouldn't go over well with my parents.

"Alice… what's her last name?" mom asked.

"Brandon," I replied, "Why?"

"Ah, I thought so, yes, she must be Cynthia Brandon's daughter," she nodded, and I tried to convey with a look that that name didn't mean anything to me, she sighed, "My new boss? Didn't you listen to me at all to what I was saying just a moment ago? I had lunch with Cynthia today-"

"Ah, the woman with the crazy Chihuahua, got it," I cut of, "So can I go or what?"

Mom nodded quickly.

"Of course you can sweetie, I'm just glad you're making friends," she said, not even bothering to hide the relief in her voice. Relief that her daughter no longer was a social outcast. It didn't take much to please her anymore…

"Too bad that they are the school freaks," Phil said under his breath.

"Excuse me?" mom said confused, and I glared angrily at Phil and kicked his shin under the table.

"Shut up!" I hissed, knowing that mom would probably forbid me from going if she knew what people said about them in school. Yes, she wanted me to have friends; but she would never approve of freak-friends. She rather have me be a loner for the rest of the life, than be the mother of a freak-child. _If she only knew_…

Mom frowned and looked at Phil.

"What was that, Phil?" she asked.

I stared him down, and he reluctantly backed down with a sigh.

"Nothing, mom," he said, "I just meant that they're probably freaks because they're willingly hanging out with her…" he pointed at me with his fork, before stuffing his mouth full of mashed potatoes.

"Your sister is not a freak," mom chastised him, even though the words didn't ring true in her tone. It was all for show. Her show of being a loving and caring mom. And not the hollow, and self-centered, mom she really was. Who did she think she was fooling?

Phil rolled his eyes – probably thinking the same thing I was - and resisted the urge to do the same.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I walked slowly beside Lauren. Wondering where we were going. The empty road seemed endless, with generic buildings and houses lining it. The way the scenery changed reminded me of the way the background changes in old cartoons – you know where they run pass the same things over and over again?

I sighed, and yawned. Go figure – you can yawn in your sleep. But I had every right to do so; I was bored. Was this all there was to Lauren? Did her subconscious not have anything at all to process and help her get through? Apparently not. As we kept on walking, and nothing was happening.

Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks, and I almost tripped over my own feet when I stopped to. I looked at her, wondering what was about to happen, and saw her face lit up with the brightest smile.

"_Riley!_" she called out.

I gasped. Riley? She was dreaming about _Riley James_?!

I hadn't seen him in over six years, since he left Port Angeles, and therefore Forks. He used to be a friend of Phil's when we were younger, his mother was working with my mom in Port Angeles, and they used to drive up to Forks, so his mom could hang out with my mom, and Riley could play with Phil.

Riley was my first crush.

He was the first guy I noticed, and the way he smiled melted my eight-year old heart. And then, when I was eleven; his mother packed them all up and left. And I never saw him again, and even though I hardly spoke to him - I was too insecure to even try - I still felt a sense of loss when they left, probably feeling even worse than Phil did, even though it was _his_ friend.

Riley James had been my first and only crush. And even though he never showed anything to make me believe he felt the same way about me, he still would keep a very special piece of my heart. Because my crush on him showed that I wasn't a freak in every sense of the word; some parts of me were just as normal as any other person. I could have crushes too, though I avoided feeling anything towards people after that… the grief, and the sense of loss, was too painful, and totally not worth it. Especially not for an eleven-year old.

I looked around feverishly, wondering where the hell he was. How did she even know him? Or maybe it was another Riley…

"_Riley! I'm over here! Riley!"_ she called again, waving her arms and jumping up and down.

I finally made out a form, several yards away, coming closer. Suddenly he was only about thirty feet away, and I recognized him immediately. Of course he didn't look like the twelve year old I remember him to be, instead he looked like a young man, but with he still had little of his boyish cuteness left.

He was dressed in a pair of old faded black jeans, and just a plain gray t-shirt. His blond hair was moving slightly with the breeze, the boyish in his face was balanced off by the subtle roughness in his features. And his intense green-blue eyes were resting on Lauren.

"_Lauren,_" he said simply.

Lauren smiled shyly and batted her lashes at him. I bit my lip in order not to laugh. Was she flirting in her own dream? Now I've seen it all.

He walked slowly over to her and stroked her cheek with his finger.

"_Mhm…_" he said and smiled, "_Too easy…"_

Lauren closed her eyes at his touch and tilted her head slightly, and leaning slightly on his hand.

I focused all my attention on Riley, and wondered if I could hi-jack her dream. If I could interact with the person who was dreaming – could I interact with the person she was dreaming _about _too? What was the point in being a Dreamcatcher if I couldn't gain something from it too?

There was no way to find out – other than to test the theory. I took a deep, unnecessary, breath and took a step towards him. I raised my hand and put it on his arm, to his hand that still cupped Laurens cheek. He quickly withdrew his hand from Lauren, and I lost my grip on him, and as he looked around the fear was evident in his eyes. I frowned as I watched him taking another step back, still looking around like he was about to attacked by something unknown.

Lauren was still standing where he left her – eyes closed, and not moving.

I frowned, taking a step towards him, and put my hand on Riley again, and this time he flinched – but didn't withdraw. He just looked at the place I was touching him.

"_Riley? Can you hear me? It's Bella… you remember me?"_ I asked, realizing it was pretty stupid to ask. This wasn't the real Riley, he was just a fidget of Laurens subconscious, and so even if the real Riley remembered me, I doubted Lauren's version would. There was no reason why Lauren would include that fact in her dream-Riley.

I squeezed his arm lightly. "_Riley?_" I asked, looking for any sign of him acknowledging me. Thus far it was like he didn't see me at all – he only felt my touch. I frowned in disappointment.

He slowly raised his eyes, and I could tell that he didn't see me. Because the way he was looking straight ahead showed that all he saw was whatever was behind me. He squinted slightly, probably in an attempt to make out my form.

"_Bella… Bella Swan_?" he croaked, sounding uncertain. "_Shit_!"

He pulled back swiftly and turned around; walking away quickly and soon he was running. I watched him go, and he soon faded away into nothingness. And I was once again left alone with Lauren. I looked over at her, and wondered if I was supposed to be worried of the fact that she was standing still as a statue, her hands extended slightly, her eyes closed and her head tilted.

Like someone was still standing there, cupping her cheek.


	9. Moody Bastard

**A/N:** This chapter was a pain to write. It contains nothing of what I had first mapped out. But I guess not everything goes according to plan, right?

There's an A/N in the end of the chapter too, explaining (okey, not really) something some of you might have been wondering. :-)

Reviews make my day, and you all know it.

Here we go…

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 8 – "Moody Bastard"**

"_**Sorrow happens, hardship happens, the hell with it, who never knew the price of happiness will not be happy.**__**"  
**_ ~ Yevgeny Yevtushenko

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Do you want a ride to school or are one of your freaky friends gonna pick you up?" Phil asked sarcastically when I sat down next to him for breakfast. I glared at him, before putting a few pieces of bread in the toaster. "I don't get why you insist on befriending them… what's so wrong with Jessica? You guys used to be attached at the hip…"

"Well, Phil, some things change, alright?" I sighed, tired of having the same conversation with him over and over. He huffed, but didn't say anything. I stared at the toaster, waiting for my bread to pop up, when Lauren's dream came to mind again. I glanced over at Phil.

"When was the last time you heard anything from Riley?" I asked, my random question appeared to catch him off guard.

"Riley James? Oh yeah, I've heard from him. We e-mail from time to time… why? You still have a crush on him or something?" he chuckled and gave me a mock push.

"No, just wondering… I heard someone mention him… just wondered what happened to him," I replied vaguely.

"Last I heard, he and his mom was living somewhere near Phoenix… but he mentioned something about maybe moving back to Port Angeles, but that was a few months ago… I should call him…" he mused, nodding to himself, "You're the second one to ask me about him in two days by the way..."

I looked up in surprise.

"Who else asked you about him? I didn't know he had any other friends in Forks," I said.

"Apparently Lauren knew him, because she came up to me yesterday and asked if I heard from him, since she knew we were friends back in the days," he replied with an indifferent shrug.

My toast popped up from the toaster – but I scarcely noticed. So Lauren was asking about Riley? Had she even met him? And was this why she dreamt about him? But why would she ask about him, if she already knew him? Wouldn't she have her own means to contact him?

I sighed and grabbed the warm pieces of bread, and smeared peanut-butter on them. Of course it wasn't impossible for them to know each other; and maybe Lauren asked Phil because she couldn't get a hold on Riley herself. And why the hell was I even caring about this? So what if she knew him?

Didn't I have better things to do than to dwell on Lauren… even if her dream left me slightly on edge. A part of me wondering if I should be worried about how things ended in her dream. With Riley running away and she being a frozen statue.

After Riley had left the dream, I had been left standing there with an immobile Lauren. And I don't know how long I stood there, watching her motionless form before I woke up to my alarm.

I was lost in the thoughts of Lauren's dream, when Phil sighed deeply – and loudly.

"I'm just looking out for you… you know that right?" He said suddenly, and it took me a moment before I realized what he was talking about, and I inwardly groaned – not _this_ again, "and from what I've heard those guys are more than just freaks… alright? That Jasper character is outright dangerous, lashing out on people without even the slightest provocation. But Emmett seems alright, I'll give you that. I spoke to him during gym yesterday, and he didn't seem that bad… but what the hell do I know, he might have been playing… and don't get me started on Edwa-"

"No, I won't get you started on Edward," I cut off, "I don't care if you approve of my friends or not. Because they are just that; _my _friends. And you don't need to like'em okay? So knock the hell off, and let me hang out with whoever I want."

He looked at me for a moment before shaking his head slightly.

"I'm just looking out for you… and they creep me out, okay? I would hate to see you end up like them," he said quietly.

How could he be so dense? Did he really not see that I was like one of them already? And there was nothing I could do about it.

"Please don't tell mom about their reputation... I don't think she would approve," I pleaded quietly, hating to stoop to that, but I knew he couldn't resist me when I begged. He shook his head slightly.

"Damn right she wouldn't approve… but okay, I won't say anything," he promised, before looking at me with a raised eyebrow, "I know Emmett is with the blonde, and your little pixiefriend is with pissy Withlock… so that leaves Edward… and so help me God; if he even tries anything with you, or if you magically end up together… I will kill him. You understand that? I'll accept that they are your friends, and even that is a stretch to me, but there's no chance in hell that I'm gonna let my sister date one of them. You got that?"

Edward. Why was he even bringing him up? Was he kidding me? Like Edward would ever even look at me in _that_ way…

Not like I wanted him too. No way.

"Geez, since when are you my dad?" I asked sarcastically.

"Hmphf… I doubt dad would approve either. Especially since Withlock got assault charges on him... Being a cop and all, I don't think he would want either of us hang out with people with a criminal record," he replied coolly.

"You're not gonna say anything to him either then," I said confidently.

He glanced at me.

"Like I said… as soon as you start dating one of them, then the cat is out of the bag. Because that's a dealbreaker," he replied.

I chuckled darkly.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't wanna date Edward even if he was the last man on earth."

Phil nodded, but I could tell he wouldn't believe me. Like Edward would be too irresistible for his gullible little sister…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I put my math book in my locker, and pushed it closed with my foot. I jumped slightly when Mike suddenly appeared next to me. He leaned casually against the locker next to mine, dragging his hand through his hair; probably thinking it made him look good, when in reality it made him look cheesy. Then he smiled lazily at me.

"So Bella, I heard you and Jessica had some sort of fallen out?" he said.

"Yeah, we did," I replied, wondering here he was going with this.

"I just wanted to make sure you know you're still invited to the party tonight, I can make you forget all about Jessica…" he said, smirking. I feigned a smile and tilted my head slightly to the side.

"Geez, thanks Mike" I replied sweetly,"But you know, I have other plans."

"Oh don't be like that… don't let her ruin our night…" he said, and frowned slightly, "and when are you gonna ditch those freaks already? I get it that you don't wanna sit with Jess after whatever happened between you two, but c'mon… you are more than welcome at my table."

He said it casually, and I almost gagged; just the thought of eating in the presence of Mike made my stomach turn.

"Sorry, I'll pass on that," I replied.

"Oh, c'mon," he said smiling, "I can't wait to get to know you better, we have lots to catch up on… but I guess we'll have plenty of time if you put whatever you have against Jess aside, and come to the party."

He casually lifted his hand, and stroked my naked arm, leaving a trail of goose bumps. He smiled when he noticed the reaction he got, probably mistaking it for something positive.

I quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled it away from my arm.

"Sorry, Mike. But I've got plans. I'm gonna hang out with my freaky friends," I said, before turning and walking towards the cafeteria.

"What happened to you Bella? You used to be normal!" he called after me.

Without looking back; I lifted my hand and flipped him off.

As I made my way to the cafeteria, I vaguely registered the people I was walking passed. Each and every one of them being the definition of what high school kids called "normal". And I was not one of them. I might look like them, and dress slightly like them, but my insides where nothing like theirs. And for once, I was grateful. How awful it must be to not be anything special, to know that you're exactly like everyone else. Looking the same, dressing the same, acting the same and liking the same things. Nothing original what so ever.

And still, here I was, complaining about being called a freak, when I should embrace it and take it as a compliment. Because being a freak in high school meant that I was different from the norm, and who decided that that had to be a bad thing?

And if Mike wanted me to be "normal" like I used to be, then the better reason to stay as freaky as I could.

I felt a smile creep up my face, and I shook my head inwardly at myself. I had come a long way in five days. From being offended beyond belief for being called a freak; to embracing it, and no longer caring what the "normal" people thought. And going from being a social outcast, to actually have a social life… how did that happen? Maybe because it felt like I had found people I had something in common with, people who most likely were more freaky than me – and therefore could accept me for what I was. A fellow freak.

"And they call me insane," someone muttered beside me.

I looked up and saw Edward looking at me.

"What?" I asked.

He chuckled darkly.

"You're standing there smiling like an idiot at the French fries… do you have a thing for them or something? And they call _me_ the insane one," he said sarcastically, and I rolled my eyes, feeling my good mood leave me.

"Can you be any more of a jerk?" I snapped. Just because I had found people I had something in common with doesn't mean I had to like them all. It didn't mean I had to like Edward.

"Yes, actually I could, but then I would probably risk getting my neck snapped by Emmett, so I'm trying to be good," he replied fluttering his eyelids, smiling and looking all innocent.

"If this is you being good, then I don't want to be close when you're actually being a jerk," I replied.

"I would be hurt by your words… but in reality, I couldn't care less," he said with a shrug, before stepping out of line and walking over to our table without getting anything.

He couldn't care less. Of course. Not like that bothered me…

I filled my tray with a slight frown, and paid for my food, before making my way over to the table. Jasper was still absent, I guess he hadn't recovered from the day before.

Someone bumped into me, but when I looked around I saw no one in particular. I shrugged and walked over to my seat. And when I sat down my tray I noticed a folded, square note on my tray. Before I had time to pick it up; Edward beat me to the punch.

I tried to grab it from him, but he put it in his other hand and held it out of reach from me. Smirking as I tried to reach for it, and pressing my body into his side in the process, as I reached over him. He suddenly cleared his throat, and I looked down, noticing our position. My chest was practically in his face.

I felt the blush quickly creep up my cheeks when I quickly sat down. Immediately giving up the fight.

Why did I keep making a fool out of myself in his presence? And I doubt I could ever get any more embarrassed as I was at that moment – with me basically molesting him by putting my boobs in his face. He would never let me live that shit down.

He chuckled lightly.

"Oh Bella, if you wanted me so badly all you had to do was say so…" he teased, "maybe we should blow off this thing tonight and just hang out in my place… or maybe we leave right now…"

He looked at me with a suggestive smirk, and I found myself just staring at him with my face still on fire – but this time in indignation.

"Are you kidding me? I wouldn't touch you with a fork," I spat.

He just kept on laughing.

"Oh my, what a temper, you and I would have so much fun…" he sighed, folding up the note in his hand, "Let us see what was so important, that you couldn't help yourself from showing off your boobs in my face…"

His mouth twisted in his patent cocky smirk, and I wanted nothing more than to wipe that straight of his face. Preferably with a straight right hand hook.

But as he read the note, I realized I didn't need to wipe the smirk off his face; the note was doing it for me. He glared over his shoulder before pushing his chair back and standing up abruptly.

I stared at him and wondered what the hell he was doing.

"HEY NEWTON!" he yelled, silencing the entire cafeteria in the process, I turned around and looked towards Mike, who sat by his usual table, looking pale as a ghost, "I ADVICE YOU TO LOOK BOTH WAYS TWICE BEFORE CROSSING THE STREET, ALRIGHT?"

Edward gave Mike a pointed glance, and I heard people gasp. I felt mortified, what the hell was he doing? Phil was sitting next to Mike, he had just been about to put his fork in his mouth, but instead he was left gaping with the fork just lifted halfway from his tray. He met my gaze and put down his fork, giving me a look and I quickly turned around in my seat.

After staring Mike down, Edward finally sat back down, looking like nothing weird just happened. I gaped at him; and I wasn't the only one.

"Edward! What's your damage!" Rosalie hissed, "Are you crazy?"

"Nopp, not as far as I know… but then again, crazy people don't know they're crazy, right?" he smirked in amusement. Was it even healthy to go from pissed to amused in a matter of seconds?

Rosalie narrowed her eyes at him, and shook her head slightly.

I saw the note, lying tossed on the table, and I reached to pick it up. But once again, Edward was faster than me. He picked it up and quickly tore it to shreds.

"What the hell?" I said annoyed , "That was my note."

He looked at me, and something in his eyes made my irritation fade.

"Trust me, Bella, you did not want to read that," he said softly.

I frowned and he gave me the most adorable crooked smile, before looking away. Leaving me breathless… and the irritation flared up again.

Who did he think he was?

He had no right in tearing up notes that was addressed to me. And he definitely had no right to dazzle me like that with that smile…

I hated him. If there was one simple fact in this world that I was sure of, then that was it. I hated him. I _loathed _him. When I glanced over at him still with a frown on my face; he glanced back, still with that soft crooked smile.

And now I hated him even more for making me smile back.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What did one bring to a sleepover? Should I bring a sleeping bag, or should I only bring my pillow? God, this was hard. I looked around in my room and groaned.

The moving company had made it there during the day, and now my room was filled with boxes of my stuff. Fortunately; I had marked each and single one of them with their content, so I didn't need to go through them all to find what I was looking for. And that would have been good news; if I had the slightest idea what I was looking for in the first place.

I opened one of the big black plastic bags that held my clothes, and poured the contents out on my bed. I raffled through the clothes, finding nothing of interest.

I needed a pajamas. I knew that much. But what kind of pajamas was suitable for a sleepover? Especially for a sleepover with _them_. I would not be surprised if Rosalie turned up in a see-through negligee, and Alice in… well, Alice could turn up in a black plastic bag, and I still wouldn't be surprised.

I pulled out my baby-blue pajama-pants; that was slightly too long for my short legs, with navy-blue hem and waistband. And after a moment of digging, I found the matching top – a navy-blue short-sleeve tee with a picture of a cloud on it, its hems was the same baby-blue color as the pants.

I looked at them and nodded. They seemed generic enough, and would not draw any unnecessary attention my way. I folded them up and put them aside, and went into the bathroom to retrieve my toiletries. I put them together with my pajamas, before kneeling down and opening the drawer to my nightstand. The journal and the dream-book staring back at me.

I bit my lip and picked them up.

I closed the drawer and sat down on my bed with the books in my lap. I stared at them while I tried to decide whether or not I should bring them. If Alice and the others turned out to be associated to anything relating to my ability, then yeah, the books could come in handy when they explained it all to me. But if they were in fact just a bunch of crazy kids – I still had my doubts – then bringing the books would just fuel the fire.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

I opened the drawer again, and put them back.

The books were staying put.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I threw my backpack over my shoulder and walked downstairs. I peeked into the living room, where mom and dad were watching a movie. My mom was having a glass of wine – her customary Friday treat – and my dad was having his usual beer.

"I'm leaving," I said, and mom turned her head at me.

"Have fun sweetie!" she smiled.

I nodded, and left for the front door. I looked at my watch as I walked down to the curb, it was five fifty three. I was on time.

When I looked up, I saw Edwards silver Volvo parked next to the curb on his side of the street. He was standing by the driver side, leaning casually against the car, following my every step with his eyes.

"I told part of my ego to stay at home tonight, so I think there will be room for you… but just barely. And if you feel the urge to attack me with your boobs again, please warn me first so I can pull over and enjoy it," he said teasingly, with an amused sparkle in his eyes.

"Aww, I'm flattered," I said, putting my hand to my heart – the fact that he followed the movement of my hand, and stared at my chest for longer than necessary, didn't escape my notice, "and this coming from the guy who practically jumped another guy because he wrote a note to me. I didn't realize you liked me that much… maybe you are the one who should give warnings, before jumping me."

The sparkle of amusement disappeared from his eyes.

"Don't think too highly of yourself, I did not do that shit for you," he all but spat at me.

"Then why won't you tell me what the note said?" I asked. He shook his head.

I shrugged in frustration, as I walked around the car to the passenger side. I heard him sigh, as he got in the driver's side. We buckled up, and he quickly pulled away and off we went. I glanced over at him, and noticed that his grip of the wheel was so hard his knuckles got white. I bit my lip and looked away.

I couldn't get a grip on Edward – one minute, he was joking around, and then the next minute he was all moody. It was like he couldn't take it when someone talked back to him. He wanted to be on top, not letting anyone walk all over him. Even if that particular someone was just joking.

_Good God, he really has a superior-complex_, I thought to myself.

The few times I had hung out with him; merely at lunch, he had proven quite definitely that he was a jerk. And he was darn proud it. But sometimes I would get a glimpse of something else, something more. For some reason, there wasn't a doubt in my mind that there could actually be more to him than his tough exterior. Even though he refused to show it, he still had let himself slip up on a few occasions, saying and doing things that made him look human. And really, how bad could he_ really_ be if Alice and the others chose to tolerate his shitty behavior? He must have some good qualities too…

As we drove through town, and passed the high school, I wondered why Edward got so angry at the note earlier. I assumed it was from Mike, since he was the one getting lashed out on. But what the hell had he written on it to make Edward react like that? Was it about him? And why would he even give a crap about what Mike thought?

I threw another glance at Edward, just to notice him looking away. I guess I just caught him looking at me.

"Edward… mind me asking why you're such a moody bastard?" I asked bluntly

He snorted, but it sounded slightly amused.

"All things considered, I'm surprised that you're not," he replied, looking me straight in the eyes.

I didn't need to ask him what he meant by that. I had a feeling I for some reason already knew.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Edward parked outside a house that could only be described as a mansion. I didn't even realize Forks had houses like this. It was a white modern looking house, with three stories. It looked like it was newly built too. Maybe it was designed for the Brandon-family exclusively.

We walked up to the front door, and it swung open before we even reached it.

"Bella!" Alice all but shouted as she ran into me and gave me a tight hug, "It's all set up inside."

She took my hand and dragged me towards, what I assumed was, the living room. She didn't even bother to greet Edward, but I guess he didn't care, since he just put his hands in his pockets and followed us into the house, and towards the living room without a word.

_Wow_, I thought to myself.

The living room was huge, with big floor to ceiling windows, giving a great view of the backyard. There were four thick mattresses on the floor – I guess the couples weren't intending on sleeping separately - complete with sheets, blankets and fluffy pillows.

Alice put down my bag on one of the mattresses and then walked passed them, over to the TV-area, where there was one three-seat sofa, a love seat and a comfortable looking barcalounger. She sat down on the love-seat, and I chose a corner seat of the big couch.

"Where's the others?" I asked.

"Jasper is out getting pizza, Em and Rose said they would be a little late… probably indulging in some pre-evening lovin," she smirked, laughing lightly, before turning to Edward, "Hey, Eddie, why don't you go into the study and chose a movie for us to watch later..."

She tilted her head slighty to the side, as she looked at him. I wondered if they were having one of those silent conversations they all seemed to be fluent at. Edward groaned, but nodded.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," he sighed, and walked away into another room.

I followed him with my gaze, and I didn't realize I had until Alice cleared her throat, and when I turned my eyes to her she was smiling at me looking amused. For some reason I blushed.

"You like him", she teased.

My eyed widened and I felt my cheeks burn brighter.

"I do not like him!" I said harshly, "He's an idiot!"

"So? It doesn't seem to keep you from liking him…" she said, her smirk-thing back in action.

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"I promise you, Alice, trust me on this; I do not like Edward Cullen. He's not my type," I said.

"Then do tell, sweet Isabella, what is your type?" she replied with an amused smile.

I shook my head.

"Whatever it is; it's not him. So drop it, Alice," I said sternly, and she huffed.

"You're no fun," she complained and pouted.

I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"Don't pout, it doesn't become you," I said kindly. And she rolled her eyes before jumping to her feet.

"C'mon, let me show you my room," she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me up and dragging me towards the stairs, and I didn't even bother resisting. I would be interesting to see what kind of room a girl like Alice would have. And I was not left disappointed when we entered.

Alice's room was nothing alike anything I've ever seen before. It was colorful, with deep purple walls, and a big king-size bed with a cerise cover. Everywhere I looked there was splashes of color; the drapes, the rug, the different things on her bookshelves, even the flowers on the windowsill… there was color simply everywhere. If it had been someone else, then it would feel like it was too much. But seeing as it was Alice, it just felt right. I didn't know Alice that well yet, but I could still feel her spirit in the room.

And her closet was even bigger than the room itself – and with reason! She had countless rows of shoes and handbags, and the clothing part of her closet made me wonder if she had robbed a store or something. And despite the enormous storage-space, it still looked like there wasn't enough space for all her stuff. Was it even possible to own this much clothes? Even if she only used each clothing piece once, she still wouldn't need to buy new clothes for another two years. My collection of clothes looked like a weekends worth of clothes in comparison to her overstuffed closet. I shook my head silently as I walked out.

"Have you even worn half of what's in there?" I asked her, and she laughed lightly.

"God no," she replied, "Most of it is things I've seen that I just couldn't resist, because they're so pretty… and that goes for the shoes and all the other accessories too."

She dragged me over to her make-up table, and I guess the sight I witnessed there shouldn't have surprised me either. The amount and the range of products would have made any girl (and make-up artist) envious. Luckily for me, I wasn't one of those girls, since I hardly used any make-up. I simply wasn't a make-up kind of girl.

Alice picked up a few things and turned to me with a bright smile.

"We'll give you a makeover!" she chimed excitedly.

I felt the blood leave my face and I shook my head violently. I didn't do makeovers. I didn't do girly stuff. Like… _at all_.

"You are not giving me a makeover like I'm some kind of life-size Barbie," I refused. And she sighed.

"C'mon Bella! Rose won't let me give her makeovers anymore," she complained and stomped her foot in frustration.

"Then give Jasper a makeover!" I replied, "Or Edward… he could use one."

"Would a makeover make him more of your type? You like guys in makeup?" she taunted, raising an eyebrow suggestively. I groaned, not wanting to have that conversation again.

"Fine, give me a freakin makeover," I conceded reluctantly.

It was like she had just won the lottery; her smiling so brightly.

"Great!" she said joyously.

She grabbed a few more products from her table – I didn't even want to know what all that shit was, and why I would need it – before we walked back downstairs. When we reached the living room, we found that the others had made it over. Rosalie laughed as she noticed the huge amount of various makeup products in Alice's arms.

"Makeover, Bella?" she asked with an amused smile.

I rolled my eyes and plopped down in the barcalounger, and Alice put down the products on a side-table before jumping into Jaspers lap in the love-seat. She peppered him with kisses all over his face, and I noticed he seemed a little more relaxed today.

"Where's Eddie?" Alice asked, and throwing a quick look around the living room.

"He went out," Emmett replied with a shrug.

"He went… out? Whatfor?" Alice replied frowning.

"Don't know, he just said he would be back," Emmett said. And Alice groaned as she slid off Jaspers lap.

"He bailed! I knew he would! Bastard!" she said angrily, before she stood up and left.

We all looked quietly from one another, and then we heard her shriek.

"DAMN IT EDWARD, you get your ass back here or I'll drag you back by your manly parts!" she shrieked, "You promised!"

She was quiet for a moment. I guess she was calling him.

"Oh yeah, try sell stupid somewhere else you asshole. You get back here now! Not in an hour. BUT NOW! Got it? GOOD!"

She skipped back into the living room, looking like her usual carefree self, with a big smile on her face.

"He'll be back in a few minutes," she said softly.

"No shit Alice," Jasper said and pulled her down in his lap, "but is it really that important that he'll be here?"

Alice looked at him and sighed.

"No, it's not really important… but I want us all to be on the same page, I don't feel like repeating everything to him later," she replied with a sigh, "besides, Rose had a point when she said we got to get this show on the road… and for that, we need Eddieboy."

"Whatever, can we eat now?" Emmett said sounding bored.

Alice nodded.

"I'll go get the drinks," she said and left for the kitchen, and Emmett eagerly reached for one of the pizzas. I smiled at the sight; he almost looked like a kid at Christmas.

Alice came back with a couple bottles of beers in her hands, and a bottle of wine. I don't know why I had expected her to bring something… weaker. But I didn't refuse when she handed me a glass - that she had picked out from a seriously expensive looking glass cabinet in the living room - of the red liquid. I had never drunk alcohol before, so this was as good a time as any to let it be my first time. I was in a safe environment, together with a few friends, and not lost in a big house full of drunken teenagers. Like I would have been if I had decided to go to Mike's party after all.

I listened to them talk; Alice and Rosalie talked about some new kind of hair mousse, and the guys were talking about baseball. Both conversations were as normal as they come, and I wondered how they could ever come off as freaks at school – besides the random outbursts from Edward, and Emmett's frightenly loud laugher.

We heard the front door open and Edward came back – and in each of his hands he held a bottle of what I assumed was scotch.

"Told you, Alice, I was just out getting some stuff," he said, flashing Alice one of his bright smiles.

"Awesome!" Emmett cheered and held out his hand and Edward gave him one of the bottles, before opening the other and drinking straight out of it. He sat down on the floor with bended knees, and rested his arm on his knee.

"Missed me?" he asked, and for some reason he looked at me.

I shook my head and smiled softly.

"Can't say that I did," I replied honestly, and he huffed quietly before chugging from the bottle again.

Rosalie rolled her eyes at his antics, and shook her head.

"Alice, should we maybe get down to business before these two get too wasted?" she asked, and nodded slightly toward Emmett.

"Yeah, we might as well," Alice replied, "I'll go get the book."

She stood up and left and I ate the last of the slice of pizza I was had on my paper plate. My stomach protested slightly as I swallowed. Even though I was starving, I still had a hard time getting it down. I guess my nerves were kicking in. It didn't matter how comfortable they all made me feel; the way they just spoke reminded me about the fact that they might not want to be my friends _for me_, and that they were only hanging out for me because it was "beneficial" – as Alice once put it. And all my insecurities was flaring up and burning up my insides.

"Am I supposed to be afraid of what's to come?" I asked, feeling nervous.

Emmett boomed a laugh.

"Only if you're afraid of nightmares," he replied chuckling, and winked at me.

"Yeah, and now I'm terrified, thanks," I said with a sigh and Emmett laughed.

A moment later, Alice walked back into the room.

She had a brown leather-bound book in her hands, it looked old, and she sat back down with Jasper. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement, and I could tell the others felt the same.

Rosalie snuggled up next to Emmett, who put his arm around her, and Jasper made himself comfortable in the loveseat. As if they all prepared for a good story. Edward, however, didn't move or do anything. He just stared right ahead, not moving a muscle.

I pulled my legs up and leaned back slightly in the barcalounger and met Alice's excited gaze. I had a feeling that whatever was going down now was going to change my life. I no longer had any doubt whatsoever about them. They knew something that was related to my ability. There was no doubt in my mind. And I had made the right decision in accepting Alice's lunch-invitation a few days ago, and I had made the right decision in sticking by them – despite their various mood-swings.

For some reason none of their weird antics bothered me anymore. Because I knew this was an evening of answers. They would explain it all to me. And I could not wait.

Alice smiled at me and I smiled back.

"It's time," she said, her eyes sparkling.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**A/N: ** I know, not the best one yet. But they can't all be winners.

Anyway, the thing I wanted to say was that whatever is going on with Jasper will probably surprise some of you – as it is a little twist. But hopefully you'll like it, and it will probably be explained (along with some other things) is the super-extravaganza chapter that is chapter 9 :-P

I hope to get it up before Sunday.

Please review ;-)


	10. Revelations

**A/N:** Nothing to say today; except that you guys are awesome. Thanks for your reviews and PM's :-D And here's chapter 9.

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 9 – "Revelations"**

"_**Secrets are made to be found out with time"**__**  
**_ ~ Charles Sanford

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The tension and anticipation was laying thick in the room, and everyone – with the exception of Edward – was looking attentively at Alice. Waiting for her to begin her story, and I felt giddy and nervous.

"You know you're different, and you know that we know that you are different," Alice began with a knowing smile, while she looked at me. Emmett groaned.

"Yes, Alice, we're different, she's different. We know that already! Get to the sweet stuff!" he complained.

"Well excuse me for trying to create some sort of ambiance," she huffed in indignation. .

She pulled up her legs, and sighed. She was quiet for a moment.

"Each and every one of us in this room can do things a very few others can," she continued, "We have abilities… special gifts… _powers_ if you will…"

I had been suspecting as much. But still, I couldn't help but be a little shocked. I guess there was a difference between suspecting and actually getting it confirmed. My eyes widened slightly when I began pondering about what kind of abilities they had; where they all like mine?

"And what is that exactly?" I asked my voice shaky from nerves.

"Emmett tracks, Rosalie senses, Edward catches, Jasper sees and I see too, but not the same as Jasper," Alice listed.

I furrowed my brow. Okay, now I was lost. Her answer didn't make any sense to me at all. Did they or did they not have "supernatural" powers like me?

"You… what? See what? Track what?" I asked bewildered.

"Dreams, Bella," Rosalie said patiently.

I bit my lip, and realized once again that I shouldn't have been surprised.

"And we know that you're a catcher too," Alice added simply.

"And how can you be so sure?" I asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable that they had known all this time, and I had known nothing.

"Because Rosalie sensed it, and Jasper can't see you and Emmett tracked you on your second night here just to make sure… so yeah, we know," she said and leaned against Jaspers side, snuggling up to him comfortably.

They were all looking at me, waiting for some kind of reaction I'm sure. I glanced over at Edward, who looked at me with an unfathomable expression.

"You do what I do," I concluded, as I met his gaze. He nodded, "And is that what you meant when you said earlier that you were surprised I wasn't as moody as you?" He nodded again. I shook my head, "Why would dreamcatching make me moody?"

He chuckled darkly, and they others laughed silently as well.

"Because of the shit we see, because of the shit we find out about people… things the people who dreamt them probably won't remember, but that will be forever etched into our minds," he sighed, as he chugged from the bottle of scotch; which he was still gripping tightly in his hand.

"Okey, so Edward does what I do… but how do your abilities work?" I asked, as I looked around the group and surprising myself by sounding so calm. Like we were discussing the whether or how one would best cook a Thanksgiving turkey. How could I be so calm? I must be in some kind of shock. Too much had changed during these past few days, so much I wasn't sure about anything anymore. And my mind was probably slowly shutting down, in order to process it all.

"Well, Emmett, why don't you tell her about yours," Alice suggested and Emmett smiled.

"I track. I can track anyone anywhere in their subconscious and track their dreams," he explained.

"But how is that different from what I do?" I asked.

"The difference is that I can't interact with anyone in the dream. And I can only track dreams that have already been altered by someone… like, let's say… Jessica's," he explained and winked at me.

"Jessica's?" I repeated confused, and he chuckled.

"Remember your second night here? Jessica was having that freaky dream where she had the chest of a monkey?" he said.

I groaned, and nodded.

"Yes, I remember… I had almost forgotten about that, thanks for reminding me," I said sarcastically.

"Well, I was there too. I tracked you, and knew you were there, but I couldn't see you or the dream itself until you chose to interfere by sitting down and talking to her, and even though you couldn't see me, I could still see you," he continued.

"And what good does it do if you can merely track a dream?" I asked.

"Because it's a good way of knowing when someone is being altered, and not for a good reason…" he replied easily, and I guess that made sense. He looked over at Rosalie, and let her take over.

"And as Alice said, I sense dreams. I can tell from someone in their waken life whether or not they have been visited during the night. It doesn't matter if their dream has been altered, or simply been caught or tracked, I can still tell if they have been visited and someone was merely watching. I'm sensing the slight trace of energy that the tracker or catcher inadvertently left behind. And that's why I also can sense people with abilities, as I sensed you," Rosalie explained, "Not as fancy as what these other freaks are doing, but it gets the work done."

She said the last part with a shrug and then smiled at me, and I smiled timidly back.

"And I see things," Alice said, putting the focus back on her, "And by things I mean dreams. But I don't see them while they're dreaming, like you do. What I do is that I touch people when they're awake, and then I can tell exactly what they've been experiencing in their subconscious during the night."

She then looked up at Jasper and smiled softly at him.

"Jasper, would you mind giving her your story?" she asked softly.

"I guess…" he said with a sigh.

I leaned forward instinctively; this was the story I had been waiting for. I was finally getting to know what was wrong with Jasper, and why the hell he was so pissed of all the time. And this made me even more nervous than hearing any of the other's stories.

"My ability is similar to Alice's… I see dreams too. But not the subconscious nightly dreams that are supposed to process your day and help you solve your inner problems, no. What I see is worse. I'm stuck with witnessing people's _day_dreams. And I don't even need to touch people to see them, instead they are just there… and everywhere I turn, I'm violated with images that goes way beyond on what I would call normal…" he explained quietly.

I bit my lip.

"And… is that why you're so angry all the time? Because of the daydreams?" I asked.

He chuckled humorlessly.

"You could say that… you would be surprised at how disgusting and vile people can get when they let their mind wander into daydream territory… and sometimes, like yesterday, it gets too much and I just snap. And I can't control it, I can't keep people from daydreaming and I can't keep myself from seeing it… instead I find myself bombarded with floods of images of peoples secret fantasies, and trust me… it gets old _real_ fast."

"So does that mean you can like… read minds?" I asked, "Since they're awake I mean… and people can control their daydreams…"

He shook his head.

"There's a difference between letting your mind wander, and actually daydream. When you daydream you get somewhat lost in your own mind and you find yourself in a weak trance, and as you probably understand, people are daydreaming more than their not when in class," he explained.

"Okey, that makes sense," I agreed.

We fell into silence, and the only noise being the subtle hum from the air conditioner. Then, as on cue, we all turned to Edward.

"What?" he huffed, "I can do what she can do… I don't think I need to explain anything."

Alice shook her head.

"I think she could benefit from hearing from another catcher's point of view," she said and Edward sighed.

"I'm a catcher, I catch dreams. I can see dreams belonging to whomever I want. And I can alter them in any way I want. To make a long fucking story fucking short; I control people's subconscious, and therefore I'm controlling them too," he rambled in a monotone voice, like he just didn't care.

"And I can do that too? See dreams belonging to whomever I want?" I asked baffled.

He looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"That's how it works," he replied simply.

I furrowed my brow and looked down on my hands. That was not how it worked for me. Not even close.

"Why, Bella? Does it work differently for you?" Alice asked, her soft voice a deep contrast from Edwards harsh one. I shrugged.

"I guess? I have no control in who I see and not see when I go to sleep, it's always kind of random… but by now I've come to the conclusion that I only have dreams about people I've had skin to skin contact with…" I replied, and as I heard Edward snort I wondered if I had answered incorrectly or that it was something wrong with me for not doing it the same way as he did.

"You're still a fucking newborn", he sighed in frustration, "have you even tried to control it?"

"I didn't know I could," I snapped back, equally frustrated and frankly; a little insulted.

"I guess you guys have your work cut out for you with this one," Edward said and chugged from his bottle, before putting it down beside him and standing up, "And I'm off."

"Edward!" Alice exclaimed exasperatedly , "We need you here tonight!"

"And what am I supposed to do? She wouldn't be able to catch a fly's dream even if her life depended on it, and I can't help her with that. Sorry, Alice, you guys are alone on this one. Laters."

And with that, he left without another word or backward glance.

I looked around the room, and studied each and every one of their faces. And I wondered if they were disappointed in me; and that they thought I wasn't good enough, since I obviously wasn't as good as Edward, and that I had no control of my ability.

"Bella, you looked surprised when I saw you in Jessica's dream… was that the first time you interacted with someone?" Emmett asked after an eternity of silence, probably sensing the tension radiating from me and tried to take it away by changing the subject.

"Yeah it was… I don't know what came over me, but I felt like I wanted to console her… and then, well, I did," I replied with a light shrug.

"Have you done it again since then? I've tried to track you, but I haven't seen anything," he continued.

I was about to shake my head when Lauren's dream came to mind.

"Well, there was this one dream… last night actually," I said, "but that was weird… because I didn't interact with the dreamer herself, but with someone in her dream…"

Alice gasped and put a hand on her mouth, I was taken aback by her reaction, and then I noticed they were all staring at me wide-eyed.

"What?" I asked, immediately feeling self-conscious under their staring.

"What happened? Who was dreaming?" Rosalie inquired; with her voice too calm for it to be natural.

"It was Lauren's dream. We were walking down a random neighborhood street for like forever… nothing weird happened. Until she saw a figure in the distance, and called out for it. He came closer and when he did he touched her and… I decided to touch him, and see what would happen. And she literally froze, as if she had become a statue, and the guy couldn't see me, but he could sense my touch. And when I asked him about it, he got this scared look on his face and cursed, before running off and disappearing."

Neither of them said anything after I finished.

"They're getting close…" Alice said finally.

"Who are?" I asked, tired of being the one asking the questions all the time.

"The Dreamhunters," Jasper replied, and as he saw my confused expression he sighed and continued, "Dreamhunters are people like us gone bad… they use their ability to hurt people and to use them for their own benefit. You wouldn't believe how much damage you can do by misusing your access to a person's subconscious."

That reminded me about something…

"Hey Alice, why do people think you predicted that girl's death? You can't see the future?" I blurted, she sighed and suddenly looking very tired.

"That would be the story of Angela," she said quietly, "And no, I can't see the future… if I could, I would have prevented her accident, instead I'm probably the reason it happened in the first place…"

Jasper grasped her hand and gave her a comforting squeeze and Alice smiled crookedly in return.

"Angela got attacked in her dreams, by a dreamhunter, and she was attacked so frequently that more than usual of the Dreamhunter's energy was left behind, and the more energy he left, the more distorted became her aura… her soul… And Rose misread that energy, thinking Angela had grown an ability, instead of being altered so often she was no longer herself," Alice explained with a tired voice, "When we realized she was filled with someone else's energy, and not her own, we decided to keep tabs on her. Emmett tracked her, Jasper concentrated on her daydreams… or rather, lack thereof… and Rosalie kept tabs on the change of energy. And I used my ability to see what Emmett had missed.

The dreams were all the same, for over two weeks she dreamt about nothing but driving a car, and always losing control over it and end up crashing. We then knew that was what the Dreamhunter was doing, for whatever reason they wanted her dead, and they made her afraid of driving and making her paranoid. And when I tried to warn her, telling her not to get behind the wheel, she got so frightened she did the one thing I asked her not to. She got into her car and drove off… she didn't get in an accident just then. But that was the last chance I had to talk to her, to warn her… because the last night, before her accident, things picked up and she had been robbed of so much energy that she could probably not even see straight as she got into the car the next morning, to go to school… instead she drove off a bridge, and crashed twenty feet down into the river… she survived, but she had gone insane. Her mind had closed itself off and we would no longer sense her… and it's all our fault…"

Alice was practically whispering when she reached the last part. And I felt a silent tear fall down my own cheek when she finished.

"You did what you could; it wasn't your fault…" I said quietly.

"We could have done so much more… I could have tried to befriend her and helped her, instead of scaring her off and yelling at her that she was going to die if she ever got behind the wheel of a car… Rosalie could have made sense earlier of the energy… we all should have known, because an ability doesn't just pop up from thin air, we are born with it… Emmett did what he could, as did Jasper… but what the hell did Edward do? He didn't even bother catching her dreams, instead he went to his freakin Sanctuary, like he didn't care he was going to get someone killed…" she yelled, and then burst into tears. She sobbed violently as Jasper pulled her to him, and held her tightly to his chest.

"It's okey sweetie," he hushed, rocking her back and forth.

"And we know they're back, and they're about to strike again," Jasper added quietly, and kissed Alice's hair.

"But why do they harass High School-students? What good can they do? What do they want anyway?" I asked, bewildered by the whole thing.

"They want what every man wants; power," Jasper said, "And as you know, high school-students are full of crammed up energy, and to feed on their subconscious is like a holiday meal for a Dreamhunter."

"And what are they gonna do with all the extra energy? They must have some sort of… hidden agenda," I said.

"Who knows what those crazy evil bastards want? I don't even think they know what they want," Emmett huffed.

"They want what evil bastards always want," Jasper said, "More power. And by draining kids of their energy, they'll make themselves stronger, and their abilities will grow and become stronger, impossible to resist… and they can make the people they've drained into soulless shells that will follow their every command… an army if you will. And with enough people behind them they could easily infiltrate our city councils, and it would not take long before they've modified so many minds they would easily overrule the White House… and then they would rule the country, and soon the world."

"So that is what this is all about? World domination?" I asked incredulously, finding it hard to believe that something as innocent as dreams would be the cause to all this.

"No, not world domination per say, but all they want is power, and in the mortal world there is no higher power than the person who rules the world…" Jasper said with a shrug.

"What about God?" Emmett chimed in with a goofy smile. Jasper rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, and maybe that's where they're headed. They want to be considered Gods. Have people worship them, and let them feed on them. So they can gain more energy and more power," Jasper concluded, with only the first part sounding sarcastic and the rest just contemplative.

"Okay, so now that we know that, how do we stop it from happening? How do we prevent from people getting hurt?" I asked.

"It's not that easy, first off; we don't even know who exactly the Dreamhunters are, or how many. We've have been on the lookout, and I have sensed some lingering energy in some students, but not enough… and Emmett hasn't been able to track any interfering either, so right now we're running blind," Rosalie said.

"And that's why Lauren's dream is so interesting at this point," Jasper mused, "Since Dreamcatchers aren't supposed to be able to interact with other people other than the dreamer herself… so whoever you interacted with in the dream is-"

"A dreamhunter," I concluded, feeling my heart sink.

"No, not necessarily, it only means that the person in your dream is a catcher, but if he's a catcher turned hunter, or simply a catcher, that's impossible to say at this point," Rosalie clarified.

"I know this might be a far-fetched question, but did you recognize the guy?" Jasper asked.

They all looked at me. My instincts told me to lie. My conscience told me to tell the truth.

Before I consciously took the decision, I found myself slowly shaking my head.

"No, I didn't, sorry," I said sheepishly.

And they sighed in disappointment, nothing in their faces suggested that they thought I was lying.

"Well, at least we know who their next target is," Jasper concluded, "And that's always something. Right sweetie?"

He stroked Alice's hair and she nodded solemnly

"We can save Lauren from an eternity of being a lifeless shell," she said quietly.

"Yes we can," Emmett cheered, surrounding the room in his positive energy.

"All though it wouldn't be such a loss if she just happened to… you know… get lost," Rosalie said suggestively as she innocently twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. Alice laughed darkly.

"That's not nice, Rose," she said, chuckling despite her tears.

"And neither is she, I'm just saying," Rosalie replied with a smirk.

The tension in the room was fading and Alice even smiled.

"That's enough of serious shit for tonight," Emmett said and put his foot down, "Let's play pool!"

He jumped up so suddenly Rosalie almost fell out of the couch. She threw him the stink eye, and he just shrugged sheepishly.

"Sorry babe," he said, before turning to Jasper, "You in?"

Jasper nodded once, and stood up; he did it a little more graciously than Emmett had, and did not leave Alice almost falling off the couch. He even leaned down and kissed her softly before following Emmett out of the room.

"With the boys gone, can I give you a make-over now?" Alice said with a smile, her face was still drenched in tears, and her make-up had smeared a little bit because of it. And even though I hated the thought of getting a make-over, I just couldn't say no to Alice when she looked at me like that.

"Okey, let's get this shit over with," I replied with a smile.

She patted the seat next to her, as she reached for the products on the side table. I stood up and walked over to her and sat down.

"This is not gonna hurt, I promise ," she said and for some reason I didn't believe her.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The night didn't end up the disaster I almost thought it would be. Neither did my make-over. Excuse me for fearing for the worst; I've seen those movies on TV where a girl gets a make-over from her friend, and ends up looking like a street-hooker. But I did not end up like that. Not even close.

Alice had used different light and dark shades of beige and brown to enhance my eyes, and the only colors I had apart from brown was the light pink blush she used on my cheekbones, and the slightly darker lip-gloss. The lip-gloss was just a shade or two darker than my lips, and it made them appear fuller.

I hated to admit it; but I looked good… like, _real_ good.

"You look surprised," Alice said as she gathered the products that were discharged around us.

"Yeah, well... I am…" I replied honestly, as I gawked at myself in the hand-held mirror.

"Alice is a miracle-worker when it comes to finding peoples' colors," Rosalie said.

"Oh you," Alice said embarrassed and waved Rosalie off, before standing up and walking upstairs to put the make-up back in her room. Rosalie stood up, and went to sit down next to me on the loveseat and smiled.

"You really look good, no wonder Mike has a crush on you…" she said innocently.

I snorted; I knew she was only saying that to be nice. I doubted Mike had a crush on me, the only reason he paid me any attention was because he knew I hated it, and he knew Phil hated it – and Mike loved to yank his chain. I was not beautiful. I was not pretty. I was just plain… _plain_.

"Let's get into our pajamas… and then we can give you some catching-pointers," she said.

I nodded, and followed her to the other side of the room, where our mattresses and our bags were. I opened up my bags and pulled out my blue pajamas. I got ready in the downstairs bathroom, and Rosalie went upstairs to Alice.

In the safety of the bathroom; I quickly removed my clothes, and pulled on my pajamas. I looked at myself in the mirror and wondered who that girl was staring back at me. Her eyes were sparkling, her usually dull brown hair was shining thanks to some product Alice had used on it, and her red lips were twisted in a small smile. She looked happy. And she was pretty.

Even in those pretty ridiculous-looking pajamas.

I left the bathroom, with my clothes in my arms, and made my way back to the living room. When I saw Rosalie; I burst into laughter before I could help myself.

She was dressed in an old fashioned white sleeping gown; it looked like it was taken right out of the 1850's. She cocked an eyebrow at me.

"And what is so funny?" she asked.

"Nothing, nothing at all," I said, trying to get a hold on myself, "your…pajamas… night gown… it's just not what I had been expecting."

She looked down on herself, and smiled in amusement when she met my gaze again.

"And what were you expecting?" she asked.

"Maybe something smaller… and more see-through?" I suggested, and she also burst into laughter at that.

Her laughter was no wear near the bell-chimes that was the patent laughter of Alice; instead it sounded surprisingly dark and manly. I guess she had been hanging out too much with Emmett, because even though her laughter had a female ring to it, it still sounded like Emmett. Which, of course, made me laugh even more.

"What are you guys laughing about?" Alice asked as she came into the room.

Rosalie looked at me, and I looked at her, then we both looked at Alice; and we burst into laughter again.

"What?" Alice asked in annoyance, and put her hands on her hips.

She was dressed in a short, skimpy and strappy black dress. A dress I hope she would not bend over in, because if she did then I would see more of her than I wanted.

"Nothing," Rosalie said between laughs, "C'mon, let's get to bed."

I put my clothes; which I was still holding in my arms, and put them in my bag, before crawling down under the covers. I lay on my side, and propped my head up on my arm, the others mirroring my position.

"Are the guys still at it?" Rosalie asked, and Alice rolled her eyes.

"Two hours and counting…I bet they're thinking we want some girl-time, and they don't want to be caught in the middle of it," she sighed.

"Oh god, they're such babies," Rosalie complained with a smile in her voice.

"Don't I know it? " Alice sighed, "Speaking of babies… you think Edward will turn up again or did we lose him as usual?"

"He was calling Tanya when we got here, when you gave Bella the tour of your room, so I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up there tonight," Rosalie said.

The mention of another girl peeked my interest.

"Who's Tanya?" I asked.

"A skank, she goes to some fancy private school outside of Port Angeles, and Edward loves him some preppy whores," Rosalie replied with an eye roll.

I nodded, and hoped that what I was feeling wasn't plain on my face. Because I didn't know what I was feeling. For some reason I felt bad about Edward ditching the sleepover for some girl… some… _skank._ It felt like he had ditched _me, _and that thought alone bothered me. Why the hell should I care what Edward did or what he thought? He didn't matter to me. He was a pompous jerk.

"Oh… someone's jealous…" Alice said in a sing-song voice and I glared at her.

"I'm not jealous, because to be jealous one has to care… which I don't," I replied.

Alice just smirked and I rolled down on my back; so I didn't have to look at her anymore. Alice thought she knew everything, when in reality; she knew nothing. Especially when it came to my feelings. I didn't even know what the hell I was feeling half of the time.

Ever since I had come back to Forks it has been like sensory overload. My feelings going haywire, and being all over the place. It was almost like I had been in embraced in an unfeeling cocoon during my four years in Jacksonville, and now when I came back I busted out of that cocoon, and suddenly feeling everything; and then some…

Just take this thing with having friends for example. For four years I couldn't care less about having friends or not, but here it felt like I couldn't work properly if I didn't have someone to lean on. And I had been drawn to Alice, and the others, from the very beginning. Like something was tugging me towards them subconsciously.

Maybe that had to do with our powers, a little like what Rosalie did. Sensing power. But in our case it was power wanting to befriend another power. And sensing that we all belonged together. The six of us – yes, I included Edward in the equation.

But just because I counted Edward as "one of us", didn't mean I had other feelings for him. I didn't even like him… especially not in _that_ way. Whatever I felt about Edward was nothing close to the feelings I remember having for Riley. So it was obviously not crushing on Edward. Simple as that.

"Do you guys have a Sanctuary?" I asked.

It was quiet for a moment, and I rolled back to my side and propped my head up again.

"No, according to the book only catchers have that," Alice replied, "it takes more energy to catch dreams and alter them than it takes to sense, see and track. You guys are the only ones that need the boost."

"Oh… okay…" I said, feeling slightly disappointed that I didn't have anyone to share Sanctuary-experiences with.

"What are you Sanctuary like?" Rosalie asked.

I shrugged.

"Nothing special… it's nothing at all really. Just a space filled with white fog. But I don't care, because I always feel good there," I replied with a shrug.

Rosalie and Alice quickly shared a look; it was so quick I would have missed if I had blinked.

"According to the book you can change the scenery of your Sanctuary if you like… if you for some reason get tired of it, or if you feel like you don't get the boost you need, then you can just… change it," Alice explained, and I scarcely listened after the first part.

"What book?" I asked.

"That book," she said and pointed to the leather-bound book she had put down on the table, "I got it from my grandmother, who got it from her grandmother… and so on and so forth. It's a textbook on everything I need to know about seeing… a few short notes on tracking, catching and sensing. And there's a paragraph about Sanctuaries, and it states that those can change if the catcher wishes them too."

"I'll keep that in mind… although, I don't understand how I'll be able to change it," I replied.

"You're more powerful than you think," Rosalie assured, "You just haven't tapped into your full potential yet… but don't worry, we'll help you."

I looked at them in silence, and felt more at ease than I've ever had before.

"Thank you, for… you know… making me eat lunch with you," I said with a timid smile.

"Don't mention it, it was our pleasure," Alice replied.

She smiled warmly at me, and Rosalie did the same. And for the first time in forever; I felt at home.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Emmett and Jasper had finally left the pool-room and joined us on the floor in the living room. Emmett crawled down beside Rosalie, and put an arm around her, she didn't seem to mind as she snuggled into his chest. Jasper did the same to Alice, and they both seemed to relax when Jasper put his arms around her.

Emmett decided to entertain us with a ridiculous scary-story about sparkling vampires, before we all agreed to go to sleep. It didn't take long before they were breathing deeply, and snoring lightly.

But even though I was tired, I found it very difficult to fall asleep. The evening was catching up with me and I tried to take it all in and process it.

Trackers. Sensers. Seers. Hunters. Catchers.

And all this time I was stupid enough to think that what I did was unique.

I quietly climbed off the mattress and walked into the kitchen, maybe it would be easier to fall asleep if I walked around for a moment.

The opened bottle of wine was standing on the counter, along with our used wine-glasses.

_Maybe if I get drunk I'll pass out_, I thought darkly to myself, as I poured the last of the wine into one of the glasses.

But just as I was about to put the glass to my lips I heard the front door creek open. I quickly put the glass down and peeked out into the hallway, and saw a dark figure sneak into the house and just as quietly close the door behind him again.

_I recognize that shadow, _I thought as it came closer to the kitchen.

Then as the figure came closer, I could distinguish its features and I immediately recognized who it was.

"What happened to Tanya?" I asked, and crossed my arms over my chest.

Edward jumped and put a hand to his heart.

"Fuck! Are you crazy?" he said angrily, "What are you doing, standing in the dark like that? You scared the crap out of me!"

I smirked.

"And what are you doing, walking into the house like a burglar like that?" I replied coolly.

He glared at me and shook his head, and walked passed me into the kitchen; where his eyes immediately found the bottle of wine, and the glass I already filled for myself. He looked at it and shrugged, before picking it up and gulped down the wine.

He then turned to me, and leaned back against the counter.

"The other's asleep?" he asked, and I nodded.

"They all pretty much passed out after Emmett told us a scary story…" I replied.

He chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, that's the affect his stories have on people," he said with a light smile, "So… how was the rest of the evening?"

"It could have been worse, I guess… never thought there were other people like me," I replied quietly and looked away..

"Right back at you," he replied; so quietly, I don't think he intended me to hear him.

I met his gaze and we silently looked at each other for a while, before I began feeling self-conscious under the scrutiny of his gaze.

"I should get back to bed…" I said nervously, "Good night."

I was just about to leave when he grabbed my arm and I turned to look at him in surprise. He looked just as uncomfortable as I felt when he realized what he just did.

"I… Tanya… we… I mean… she's not my girlfriend or anything…" he stammered.

I furrowed my brow.

"Why are you telling me? That's none of my concern…" I replied.

He frowned, but didn't let me go.

"What did they fill you in on after I left?" he asked, staring me down.

"Nothing in particular," I replied carefully, "Why you ask? You worried they told me all about the jackass that is Edward Cullen?"

He all but pushed me away when he let go of my arm, and I almost lost my balance at the sudden force behind it.

"No, not at all. It's common knowledge that I'm a douche, so," he said with an indifferent shrug, "I was just, you know, wondering if you talked about something I should be concerned about. Maybe whatever is screwing people up?"

I snorted.

"Like you would care? As I was told you didn't bother helping out when Angela was in trouble," I almost spat at him.

He seemed to be slightly taken aback of my comment, and I immediately felt bad about it. Why did I always do and say the wrong things in his presence?

"I doubt you know the whole story behind what happened to Angela. Yeah, she crashed and yeah, she went insane… and yeah, if Rose or Alice had caught on what was going on earlier, we would have been able to make a difference. But what happened was not my fault," he hissed.

"Of course it's not your fault… it's not like you tried to help or anything," I replied, and raised an eyebrow at him, I was not buying his self-righteous bullshit.

He narrowed his eyes at me, and clenched his jaw. I could tell I was getting to him.

"You don't know anything," he spat, before storming off into the living room.

I sighed, and decided not to follow him. Instead I went to the bathroom, and washed off the make-up; and taking my time doing so. Before going back to the living room, and crawling under the covers.

Edward had taken the other empty mattress, and I could see him presented as a formless lump in the shadows. I sighed and closed my eyes.

Unconsciousness couldn't come fast enough.


	11. The Past is the Present

**A/N:** I guess the daily updates have ceased… or at least they did over the weekend. I must say that I did enjoy writing this chapter, and I personally think it's the best one yet… but then again, what the hell do I know? You guys might hate it. ;-)

And I wanna thank silver_drip and FRK921 for being such frequent reviewers; Thank you!

Anyway, what the hell are we waiting for? Here Chapter freakin 10!

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 10 – "The Past is the Present"**

"_**May the dreams of your past be the reality of your future"**__**  
**_ ~ unknown

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It could have been ten minutes; it could have been ten hours. I had no way to be sure. Al I knew was that I was exhausted, and I welcomed the white fog with open arms. The evening had taken its toll on me, both physically as well as mentally and there had never been a time where I had needed the white fog more than I did now. I guess they had a point, Alice and grandma, when they said that the sanctuary was a place to recuperate. A place to finally rest; how morbid that may sound, it still rang very true to my ears.

It was the third visit in a week, and I was not surprised to see that I was not alone tonight either. And I guess that the third time is the charmed, since I wasn't angry or irritated that I wasn't alone. The shadow did nothing to hinder me from getting the use out of my fog, he didn't bother me. All he did was stand there.

I looked at him and tilted my head. Okay, he wasn't standing he was sitting.

Anyway, we had both agreed the last time that we would leave each other alone. And this place obviously was big enough for the both of us, why else would we both end up here? We both obviously needed our rest, and since I knew now that the fog was giving me just that – with our without the presence of the Shadow – then I might as well share it with him. What harm could it do?

I sighed and started walking aimlessly in the fog. The shadow was always in the corner of my eye, never moving, ever present. Even though he sat still, and I kept on walking, he always remained on the same place in my peripheral view. As if I wasn't moving at all; or that he was dragged along with me, even though he was sitting still.

I turned and headed for the shadow and I was not surprised when I didn't make any headway doing that either. He was still sitting as far away – or just as close, depending on your point of view - as he always was. I bit my lip as I glanced at the ground, wondering why it felt like I was walking on a moving treadmill.

"_You seem frustrated, dear old friend_," the Shadow said suddenly his voice amused, and I noticed how he tilted his head to me; at least, that was what it looked like.

"_Yes, I tried to figure out why it is that I can keep on walking and running, but you will still remain at the same place in the corner of my eye, like I haven't advanced at all," _I replied with a sigh, as I plopped down on the ground and sat Indian-style facing him.

"_Maybe because there is just no where to go? All you get is a three-feet radius," _he replied.

"_Three-feet, really? How do you know?_" I inquired.

He chuckled.

"_I don't, I was just taking a guess_," he replied softly.

I smiled kindly at the shadow.

"_You seem nicer today," _I noted.

"_As do you," _he replied civilly.

I took a deep breath and breathed out slowly from my nose. The fog never felt sweeter.

"_Yeah… I had an interesting night… although it could have ended better… but I guess I'm not as frustrated anymore,_" I admitted and leaned back on my arms.

"_Care to tell me about it_?"

I looked at him in surprise.

"_You want to know?"_

"_Yeah, sure, why not… it's not like I'm going anywhere…or have anything better to do_," he replied, chuckling humorlessly.

"_Well, I'm currently at a sleepover at a friend's house… wow, that's weird to say, right? Here I am, in a freakin white fog, and I say that I'm currently at a friend's house? Huh…_" I said shaking my head at myself, "_Anyway, tonight they told me about a lot of things that concerned me and I learnt a lot about myself…_"

"_I guess it's always good to know as much as possible about oneself, but why did you think it ended badly? Did you get into a fight?_" he asked, and I wondered if he knew how close he was to the truth.

"_No, not a fight per say… just had a little argument with a pompous jerk that I can't stand. He thinks the sun rise and sets in his ass… God's gift to humanity and all that… you know the type," _I sighed and waved the topic away dismissively.

"_Yeah… I know the type…_" he muttered quietly.

"_So, mr. Shadowman… do you have a name_?" I asked.

"_Why yes, as a matter of fact I do_," he replied.

I waited for his answer, but it never came. And I cocked an eyebrow at him, even though he probably couldn't see it.

"_And what is it_?" I prompted.

"_It's…_" he paused, and then sighed, "_Anthony. Just call me Anthony_."

"_Nice to meet you Anthony, you seem to be in a better mood tonight also, and not as pissed off or territorial as last time_," I noted.

"_Well, what can I say… I had a nice evening too,_" he replied, though a bit sourly.

"_Care to tell me about it_?" I asked, using his own words against him.

He was quiet for a moment, and I thought he was going to ignore me again, but then he sighed.

"_I hung out with a few friends… always nice… and then I hooked up with this girl I'm seeing, although she was being a bitch, and was all pms'ing and shit… and I wasn't up for that… then I went to my friend's house and got into this feisty argument with a girl who doesn't know left from right,_" he sighed.

"_Frankly, that doesn't sound like such a nice night_," I replied with a laugh.

"_A night where I get laid is always a nice night, no matter how many fights I get in_," he replied simply.

"_Touché_," I nodded, "_I guess I kind of forgot for a moment that you're a guy and you're known to only think with one part of your anatomy_."

"_Yeah, but it's a big part of my anatomy_," he replied gravely.

I boomed a laugh at that.

"_You did not just say that_!" I protested, and he chuckled at my response.

We let our laughter die down, and we sat there just staring at each other's shadowy figures for an eternity before he spoke up again.

"_And what's your name?" _he asked, his voice silky soft.

"_I'm_ _Bella_."

"_Bella…"_ I could almost hear the smile in a voice, "_It's_ _nice to meet you_."

For some inexplicable reason I blushed, and felt my entire insides tingle at the way he said my name.

"_So shall we consider this a truce_?" he asked.

"_Yeah, why the hell not… you don't seem to be going anywhere, and trust me, I won't be either. So we might just well do the best out of the hand we were dealt and deal with it,_" I replied.

"_I supposed you're right."_

And once again, I found his voice doing strange things to my body. Each and every syllable that left his lips made my entire body react, and it gave me goose-bumps; and not the bad kind that Mike was known to rise from me. And I no longer cared that my Sanctuary wasn't just my Sanctuary anymore.

And that left me with another question…

"_Hey Anthony?_" I said, and he hummed in response, "_This might be a weird question, and if you don't get what I'm asking, then just forget it alright?_"

"_Okay…_" he agreed slowly.

"_Are you a Dreamcatcher too_?" I asked, and all I was met with was silence.

For each passing second that he was quiet, the more insane I felt for even asking. For all I knew he was just a fidget of my imagination, some apparition of something my subconscious thought I needed or maybe some poor innocent sucker that just happened to be dragged into my subconscious, instead of the other way around.

"_Yes, I guess you could say that I am_," he replied with a deep sigh, after an eternity of dead silence.

"_You say that like you're not entirely sure…_" I said with a nervous chuckle, although I felt relieved that he at least knew what the hell my question was about, and that he knew what I was getting at.

"_Depending on who you're asking, then yeah, it's up for battle… and it also depends on your definition of the word… but I don't care to get into that… but yeah, let's settle with a 'yes' on that one,_" he said, sounding tired, as if he had been contemplating the situation for himself for a long time, and never come up with a good enough answer.

"_Okay… well, that would explain why we're both here… I guess… or maybe not… I wouldn't know… I'm kind of new to all the semantics of this whole deal_," I admitted, feeling slightly embarrassed by that fact, "_even though I've been like this my whole life_."

"_Some needs more practice than others, and I assume you grew up with no one explaining the ordeal to you_?" he said, and I nodded, "_Well then it's no wonder you're not up to speed on everything… give it time, it will come to you…_"

"_Thanks,_" I said looking down while I felt the familiar burn of a blush creeping up.

When we once again were embedded in a silence; it felt comfortable. Not forced or painful. It just was. As if his mere presence made me feel safe, just like the presence of Alice and the others made me feel welcome and home. Maybe this was what I had been looking for, waiting for. The relaxation I felt with the Shad- I mean Anthony's – presence tonight topped everything, and all the lonely night's I had had in the fog, prior to coming to Forks, didn't hold a candle to what I was feeling now.

I felt relaxed, safe and content. And I never wanted to leave.

"_Tell me something, Anthony_," I said softly, "_Why were you so pissed off the first night we met_?"

He sighed, and I saw his figure move around a bit, as if he was pulling his hand through his hair. I wondered what color it was...

"_I had a bad day_," he stated simply, and I thought he would leave it at that, but he continued after a moment, "_I may or may not have insulted a female friend, who happens to be my other friend's girlfriend… and seeing as he already is a loose canon as it is, I shouldn't have pushed him and we got into a hefty fight… and then there was my girl. She was pressuring me to get serious with her, and I just can't…whatever… and my dad is pressuring me about college and… everything was just too fucking much, and I needed to relax and be alone. And then you popped up from fucking nowhere and acted like you owned the place, which I guess now is pretty ridiculous, seeing as you basically do…"_

He shrugged and did the movement again, and this time it really looked like he was pulling his hand through his hair.

"_Now_ you_ tell me something Bella_," Anthony continued with his silky smooth voice, "_Why were you so pissed of the last time I saw you_?"

"_I_ _had a rough day… did I mention I just started a new school on Monday? Well, then you can guess what kind of week I've had… trying to fit in, and then realizing it was a waste since I didn't fit in, no matter how much I wanted to… because I'm a born freak and I will always be one…_" I replied with a sigh.

"_I rather be a freak and a random nobody_," he muttered.

"_Yeah, I've come to the same conclusion in the last few days… but just because I managed to have that realization, doesn't mean other people did too, and people are just… idiots_," I said, "_I've moved back to the town where I grew up, we moved away from here four years ago… and I thought I could come back and everything would be like it always was, but it wasn't. My best friend had become some soulless bitch, only caring about boys, gossip and shopping… and my brother's best friend feels the need to harass me every chance he gets… and although my freaky friends are awesome, I still wonder why they're even hanging out with me… if it's because they need me, because of my ability, or that they truly want to be my friend… and don't let me get started on that fucking prick Edward…_"

He chuckled, the sound soft and carefree, and maybe a little curious too.

"_Tell me about the prick_ _Edward,"_ he said amused, "_He doesn't happen to be the pompous jerk you mentioned earlier, now would he_?"

I snorted; just the mention of Edward put me in a foul mood.

"_Yeah, that would be the one_," I replied sourly.

He chuckled and moved around a bit, before he settled again.

"_Why you hate him so much_?"

"_He's an arrogant jerk who doesn't put any regard to anyone's feelings but his own, he even responsible for putting a girl in the hospital_," I replied, feeling myself get riled up, and I knew I better shut up before spewing all my shit over Anthony; I shouldn't push my luck now when we were finally getting somewhere and were able to be nice to each other and share the space.

He chuckled, but he didn't sound amused, instead he just sounded tired and worn-out. Maybe I had pushed my luck by mentioning the incident with Angela. I suddenly felt bad; Edward was right when he said I didn't know the whole story, because I weren't there, so who was I to judge him? But then again, Alice said he had ignored them to hang out in his Sanctuary, so maybe I wasn't far off when I blamed him.

But it still wasn't my place to spread the story, and tell other people. And I should not put the blame on Edward while doing so. He might be a jerk, but since I didn't know the whole story then he didn't deserve me badmouthing him.

A weak sound of a melody echoed through the fog, and I frowned. What the hell was that?

"_Well, that's my cue_," Anthony said while standing up, and he appeared to be brushing off his pants – as if one could get dirty in the Sanctuary, "_Time for me to leave_…"

"_Where are you going_?" I asked, surprising myself by feeling slightly panicked. I didn't want him to go; which surprised me even more.

"_Don't worry, sweetheart, you'll see me again. But for now, I have to leave, so until we meet again_," he said softly.

I blinked, and he was gone. The shadow was nowhere to be seen, and I felt utterly lonely.

I pulled up my legs and hugged my knees. I wondered what time it was, maybe I should wake up too.

But I decided not to try, instead I was going to take my time and relax before I had to meet the world again, because I didn't think I was ready for it quite yet.

The knowledge of not being alone was overwhelming to say the least, and I didn't know how to handle it. All my life I had wanted to have someone by my side who would understand what I was going through, and never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would run into not just one, but five other people who knew exactly what I was going through – six if I was going to count Anthony - and that would take a while to getting used to.

But it wasn't just in my waken life that I had to get adjusted to all the changes, even in my sleeping state there were changes. The fact that I could apparently interact with people in their dreams was interesting enough, and I wondered if I would ever use that again, and how would I know if I did it right, and not cause any permanent damage to the person at hand?

And then there was Anthony.

The jerky territorial guy, who actually turned out to be quite alright, I guess he just had a bad week, just like me. And I couldn't blame him for lashing out on me because of it. He obviously came to the white fog for the same reasons as I did; for resting and getting his energy back. And he must have been just as surprised and annoyed as I was when he realized he was no longer alone. He said so himself that he got there for a reason, wanting some alone time with his thoughts.

I felt sorry for him. He mentioned his father, and the pressure he was under, and I could relate. Although my parents didn't pressure me about college, I still knew what it felt like to be under pressure in general. Seeing as my mom always pressured me to be more outgoing and getting friends. Like it was that simple. Like anything in life was that simple. Just because you knew what you wanted, didn't mean you could just go get it like nobody's business, the world didn't work like that. Not for me anyway; but maybe it did for my mom, but definitely not for me.

I thought about Alice, and how she seemed so carefree. Nothing ever seemed to bug her. The only things I've ever even seen get to her was Edwards stupid behavior and the story about Angela. And apart from that; she was just a carefree spirit. Enjoying the good in life, enjoying nice things and pampering herself by shopping way too much.

Then there was Rosalie, who was so beautiful and gorgeous it was intimidating, but who had a surprisingly big heart and was real doll. She could have been a bitch, and basically ruled the school if she had wanted too – she had all the resources after all – but instead she kept to her group, and was the best friend she could be.

Emmett, the big goof, always having a joke ready to light up any given situation. Even though the joke itself wasn't any good, he still got the job done by getting everyone in a better mood. He was a big teddy bear, and I wondered how I could ever have been afraid of him. Not even his big muscular exterior frightened me anymore, because I knew he wouldn't harm a fly… except if said fly was Mike Newton.

And what about Jasper? The always pissed of guy, who I had finally figured out. I guess it all made sense to me know, why he was always so angry and frustrated. I couldn't believe how awful it must be to be forced to witness people's daydreams. Nightmares and regular dreams was one thing; because in the end they usually meant something, and was helping the person dreaming them. But daydreams were usually fantasies, fantasies which the dreamer held every control over.

And seeing as we were in high school I could only imagine what kind of disgusting scenarios was assaulting his mind all day every day. And I felt sorry for him, I truly did.

They were all so very different, but still they were friends, and for some reason I could see them being friends even without their abilities. The group dynamic was something else, and not controlled by the gathering of powers. It was just a lucky coincidence, that they were all sharing the same secret; with each and every one of them having an ability.

The same secret. Yes, I guess it all boiled down to that. To keeping the secret.

The secret that was getting people hurt. And that reminded me of Riley.

I don't know why I didn't tell them about him, that I had in fact recognized him in the dream. But for some reason I felt that I wasn't quite ready to divulge that information yet. Because I wanted to figure out on my own what his deal was. I had a feeling that the others would jump to conclusions, thinking he was a dreamhunter and was there to hurt Lauren, but the Riley I knew would never hurt someone. And even though I hadn't seen him, or heard anything about him, in six years, I still found it hard to believe that he would have turned out evil. Because he was a great kid. Yeah, he might have thrown the occasional rock on passing cars from the bridge over the road out of Forks, but that didn't make him evil. Phil had thrown rocks too – and he turned out alright, right?

I decided I was going to talk to Phil again, and try to get a hold on Riley. And talk to him myself, and find out what he was doing in Laurens dream and how they knew each other.

And I had to do this without making Phil suspicious, and the others couldn't know I was pursuing this. They could not know that I knew. Because that would mess everything up.

I nodded to myself. Then it was settled.

I was going to contact Riley and see what his deal was, and if he turned out to be a hunter, then I would go to the others and make up a plan in order to stop him. But until then; I was keeping quiet.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When I awoke the next day it was already after twelve, and Alice told me the others had already left, and they didn't want to wake me. They all thought I needed the rest, so they let me sleep in. Alice offered to drive me home, and when I asked when Edward left she had just looked at me weirdly.

"You saw him leave… last night?" she said giving me an odd look.

"No, he came back… we even talked… well, okay, we had a fight… a little argument… whatever… he came back, he even went to sleep here…" I argued.

"If he did, he woke up before us because his mattress was empty when I woke," she replied with a shrug.

I didn't argue with her more after that, instead I wondered why the hell Edward even bothered to come back in the first place if all he did was leave before anyone even noticed he was there. But I guess that was Edward in a nutshell, popping up and popping out without notice. Just look at the way he managed school; he was there, and then he wasn't. It's like a schedule was beyond him, and he didn't need to follow through on anything. But I guess that was a part of his superior complex; thinking he was beyond what every other student had to endure. I wondered why the hell his parents even let him behave like he did; didn't they have a sense of responsibility what so ever?

I didn't even want to know what kind of grades he had; he must be failing every class. Didn't he want to graduate like the rest of us? He was a senior, and if he was failing now I doubted he could manage to straighten himself up enough to pass before graduation. The fall term had just begun, and even though he had the entire fall and spring to catch up and pass, I doubted he would. He just didn't have it in him; he didn't know how to follow through.

At least that was the impression I've got from him, and I've only "known" him for less than a week.

I decided to spend my weekend unpacking my stuff and get settled in my room, luckily the teachers had been good on us and not given us homework over the weekend so I didn't need to stress about that.

It was Sunday afternoon when Phil knocked on my door, and walked in without waiting for me to say he could. I tried not to be annoyed; instead I turned to him with an expectant gaze.

"What?" I asked.

He leaned against the doorframe with an amused smile.

"Funny thing, Bella, I just got off the phone with Riley… and guess what? He moved back to Port Angeles a month ago, and he's actually working at the mall here in Forks…" he said, gauging my reaction. I just nodded, trying to show no emotion.

"The mall huh, that's… cool," I said with a shrug.

"Yeah, how about that," he continued with a nonchalant tone, "and you asking about him now doesn't have anything to do with the fact that you were at said mall this week…"

I looked at him confused.

"What?"

"Yeah, I mean, you must have seen him there, right? Why else would you have asked about him?" he replied, looking slightly confused himself.

I laughed.

"No, that's not why, I really didn't know and I haven't seen him. I was just reminded about the past the other day, and I just got curious, since you guys were such good friends," I only half-fibbed.

"Don't get stuck in the past little sis, the present is here for a reason," he said with a pointed glance before leaving the room.

I looked at the empty doorframe longer than necessary before I looked away. Yeah, the present was here for a reason, but the past was the reason why the present was here, being what it is, so how could one not get stuck in the past?

I opened the last box of stuff and was met with a bunch of framed photos and photo-albums. How ironic.

I picked up the first frame; a family photo taken two years ago on a trip to Washington D.C. My dad looking proud, dressed in his finest cop uniform, and standing proud in all his glory, with and arm around mom; who looked slightly bored, and me standing by mom's other side, and Phil on dad's side. Phil was smiling broadly; he always did that when a camera wasn't around, it didn't even matter whether or not the camera was even pointed at him.

And I was looking… misplaced. I didn't belong in that photo. My eyes were dead, and there was no smile to speak of. Was that really what I looked like? No wonder my mom was worried about me.

I put the photo aside, not wanting to put it up for the world to see.

Maybe the past was in the past for a reason. No matter how the present turned out.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"You sure you can't read her?" Emmett asked cheerily, "C'mon! I would die to find out what the hell is going on in her head when she spaces out like that…"

"Trust me… I tried," Jasper replied with a chuckle.

I shook my head; getting myself back to the present, and looked around.

I was sitting on the stone wall outside off school, Emmett and Jasper was standing, and leaning against the wall, on either side of me. It was Monday morning, and we were waiting for Alice and Rosalie, who both were fashionably late by now.

"What?" I said as Emmett looked at me with an overly amused smile.

"Nothing, I was just wonder what you're thinking about when you space out like that, because you have a habit of doing that occasionally," he replied, still smiling.

I shrugged.

"Nothing important," I lied, "Just… letting my mind wander…"

Emmett groaned for my lack of response, but luckily he didn't push it. Instead he started talking baseball with Jasper again, which gave me room to let my mind wander again.

I had been thinking about Riley. Why? Because Phil had made a point in telling me he was going to hang out with him at the mall today after school, and therefore wasn't able to give me a ride home. The way he had divulged that fact to me made me think he wanted to challenge me on going with him. Since he obviously remembered my crush on Riley, and how I always got tongue-tied when he was around. But I didn't bite, instead I just shrugged like it was no big deal and then I told him I probably could get a ride with somebody else.

But sitting there on the wall, staring at the ever filling parking lot, I wondered if it would be possible to ask Rosalie or Alice to go to the mall with me today without them getting suspicious…

_Oh c'mon, Bella, it's Alice we're talking about_! I thought to myself tiredly.

First, Alice wouldn't mind, obviously. She would probably just be thrilled that I was the one suggesting it, since she had commented on my lack of fashion sense on more than one occasion since I woke up on Saturday morning. She spent almost the entire drive, home from her house, telling me what colors would look good on me and that I should get more tight-fitted clothes, and not let my body be buried in "shapeless trash-bags", as she called them. She even said that I would probably look _better_ in an actual trash-bag than I did in the clothes I was wearing now. I tried not to get offended by her bluntness; I've learned fast that that was just Alice. But it still bugged me that she tried to control my appearance, even though she did it just out of kindness and not rudeness.

Like I said, she commented on my lack of fashion-sense all the way home, but don't think for a minute that that was enough for her. Oh no. She even harassed me on IM later that night and all during Sunday; she sent me hundreds of links to her favorite stores online, and she linked specifically to the clothes she thought I would look great in – but in reality; I wouldn't want to be caught dead in.

And the best present I could ever give Alice was probably letting her take me shopping. So it only made sense in asking her.

Secondly, why would they get suspicious? Yeah, they known me for all of one week, but they already knew my stance on shopping and fashion, so they would probably think I was sick if I willingly suggested we go. But then again, there were other stores at the mall other than for clothes. I could always say I wanted to check out the bookstore – which I did want, come to think of it – so it wasn't at all suspicious.

I sighed to myself.

Had I always been so paranoid? It was tiring me out by over-thinking things like this. Especially such a random thing as to go to the mall, like it was such a big deal.

Maybe I was going crazy? Wouldn't surprise me.

Suddenly I was yanked down from the wall and I almost fell flat on my butt. I steadied myself on Emmett and looked around bewildered. And Emmett just laughed at me.

"C'mon, Bella, the bell already rang… but I guess you were too far away to hear it," he chuckled.

I looked at him, and noticed Rosalie by his side, and Jasper was walking in front of us with an arm around Alice. When the hell did they arrive?

Man, I was seriously losing it.

I was left no time thinking about how crazy I might have become, because as soon as my eyes landed on Lauren in class, I realized my own craziness was the last of my problems.

Her usual blonde shining mane was nowhere to be found; instead her hair looked like a haystack. It seemed as if she hadn't brushed it at all since Thursday, and her pale complexion looked chalky and she wore no makeup – making the dark circles under her eyes even more prominent.

She wasn't even dressed in her usual designer knock-offs. Instead she was wearing sweats and a loose top. As she slowly turned her head towards the windows, I caught a glance of her eyes. And they were dead. There was no sparkle, no life. It almost looked like she just didn't care to bother anymore, like she'd given up.

I frowned and turned to Alice.

"Look at Lauren…" I whispered quietly, and Alice turned her head, her eyes getting wide.

"Oh my god… did she loose a bet or something?" she hissed back, probably more upset than she should have been because of what Lauren was wearing.

"You think she's like… sick?" I asked.

Alice frowned for a second, before throwing her pencil to the other side of the classroom. I looked at her confused. What the hell was she doing?

"Ms. Brandon, is there a problem?" our teacher asked, and everybody turned to look at Alice. Even Lauren; although her eyes were resting on Alice, I doubted Lauren even registered what she was looking at. Her eyes were vacant.

"I just dropped my pen, sorry," Alice replied with a sheepish smile before standing up and walking cross the classroom to get it. On the way back she casually let her finger touch Laurens hand on the desk. And then I understood what she was doing. She was reading her.

I examined Alice's face, in an attempt to read what she was thinking. She was frowning slightly, looking slightly confused too, before sitting down beside me again. I turned to her.

"What did you see?" I asked quietly.

She turned slowly to me.

"I… I'm not sure… darkness?" she said unsure, making it sound like a question as if I held the answers. When I didn't answer she pouted slightly. She apparently didn't like not knowing what was going on, and it was as if she was blaming me for not understanding what it meant that she was seeing darkness.

"Maybe she's just sick?" I suggested, "Dreams work differently when you're sick…"

She nodded slowly, though a bit reluctantly.

"Yeah, maybe…" she agreed slowly.

I smiled softly, and squeezed her hand assuredly on the table. She smiled weakly and response before turning her attention back to the front. I looked over at Lauren, and she was just staring meekly at her hands. I never thought the day would come that I would feel sorry, or worried, about Lauren Mallory. Since she always used to be mean to me when we were younger. But I guess some things does change, not even considering the past.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Rosalie frowned as she sat down by our lunch table again, after she had gone over to Lauren; who had been standing in the lunch-line.

"You were right Alice, something is way off with her…" she agreed, before leaning in and giving Emmett a quick peck on the cheek. He smiled goofily and she couldn't help but smile back. But her smile was instantly gone as soon as she looked back at Alice. "And I'm not talking about her sudden lack of fashion-sense… yeah, she might not have been the best dresser in the world, totally mismatching her designers… I won't even mention the fact that she willingly dresses in knock-offs, but seriously… something's off."

"Too bad it's not her shirt," Emmett said under his breath with a low chuckle.

Rosalie turned to stare at him and Emmett froze in place, just before she smacked him in the back of the head with her hand. He groaned, but he also knew better than complain. We all knew he had it coming.

"So what did you sense?" Alice asked, not minding Emmett.

Rosalie looked towards Lauren, who slowly made her way to her usual table, with an empty tray in her hands. Rosalie sighed and looked back uncomfortably at us.

"I don't know… Yeah, something's there alright… but I'm not entirely sure it's dream-energy," she replied, sounding much like Alice had done during class; very unsure, "I've haven't come across it before, but she might just be… you know… sick?"

I looked at Alice.

"I told you! Dreams get all messed up when you're sick…" I said again but Alice still didn't look convinced, she turned to Jasper, who gave her a pained look.

"Sweetie, please, can you watch her?" she asked him, and he groaned silently before nodding.

He closed his eyes and we all stared at him in silence as he concentrated on catching her daydreams. Seeing as Lauren was like a walking corpse right now, with a vacant glance in her eyes, there was a good chance that she was lost in whatever thoughts were wandering through her head, and hopefully; those thoughts were daydreams.

Jasper frowned, and raised an eyebrow slightly as he tilted his head to the side.

He flashed open his eyes and looked towards Lauren. He sighed, before looking back at us.

"Darkness, nothing but darkness," he replied with a definite tone, leaving no room for the same uncertainty that Rosalie and Alice had.

"But what does that mean? That she's just not daydreaming right now?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"Usually, when someone isn't daydreaming all I get is a silent hum and a cloud of gray, almost like a TV when it gets no reception, you know? But Lauren… she's daydreaming alright, but all she dreams about is darkness," he explained.

"She's being hunted… that's the only explanation," Alice said, and as I looked around the table I saw that they were all nodding. And I felt my stomach clench.

She was being hunted; being drained of her energy. And I've seen who had visited her before. But I refused to accept that Riley was a Dreamhunter. He couldn't be.

"Maybe she's just sick…" I muttered, and they all looked at me.

"No offense, Bella, but we've done this for a heck of a lot longer than you! And all the signs points to her being hunted," Alice snapped angrily, and I flinched at her sudden hostile tone.

Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open slightly, when she realized what she just did.

"I'm sorry, Bella, I didn't mean it like that…" she said apologetically.

But I just shook my head and stood up. I didn't want her apology; especially since I didn't deserve it. She was right, I was wrong. They had done this for a lot longer than I had, hell, I hadn't done it at all. I didn't know what the signs were, so who was I to argue?

And I especially didn't want her apology since I lied to them, and purposely kept them in the dark. Even now, when they were all certain that she was being hunted, I still couldn't find it in me to tell them about Riley. Not until I've spoken to him first.


	12. Music Mania

**A/N:** Haha, I'm not surprised that none of you seemed surprised to find out who the Shadowman was in the last chapter. Since it is a story adapted to the Twilight-universe, you can probably understand how hard it was to make that part somewhat of a mystery. Some of you guess who he was as soon as the first White Fog-dream ended.

But just because _you_ know who he is, doesn't mean Bella does. ;-)

Anyway, here is Chapter 11, and it's the longest chapter to date. With a little over 7,300 words of nothing… nah, not really… it does contain something… I think? Yeah yeah…

I know the events in this chapter might seem a little rushed, but trust me; there is a reason for that.

Reviews to me are like rainy days – I _love_ rainy days :-)

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 11 – "Music-mania"**

"_**Music is what feelings sound like"**__**  
**_ ~ unknown

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I hid out in the girl's bathroom for the rest of lunch. I felt ridiculous doing it, what was I afraid off? Tiny Alice? I don't think so… who was I kidding? Of course I was.

The warning bell rang, signaling that it was time for History. A class I had with Lauren. Oh the joy.

With a deep sigh, I left the comfort of the stall, and left the bathroom altogether. But I didn't manage to take even a step outside before someone pushed me back in. I stumbled backwards, and had to grip the sink in order not to fall over.

Alice and Rosalie were towering over me and I straightened up.

"Alice have something to say to you," Rosalie said and gave Alice a gentle push forward, "Alice."

Alice glared at Rosalie before looking back at me.

"It was a sensitive subject, and although I was right when I said we've done this for a longer time than you, it still didn't give me the right to… yell at you like that," Alice said with a sigh, her voice slightly monotone like she didn't really want to say any of it, nor did she mean it. But I didn't care, because to me she didn't need to mean it, since I still thought I didn't deserve the apology. And to be honest, I didn't think I deserved her outburst either.

"It's okay," I said quietly, "I didn't mean to run off like that either… I was just overwhelmed, you know?"

"So we're cool?" Alice asked, I met her eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, we're cool," I nodded.

She smiled timidly, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Great, now that we're all friends again, why don't we go to the mall today and check out the week's new load, ey Alice?" Rosalie said, and smiled gently at Alice. Alice peaked up immediately and nodded excitedly. Rosalie snickered and I smiled too. Alice was so predictable.

We left the bathroom together, and before we parted ways to our respective classrooms Rosalie turned to me.

"Meet us by the parking lot, alright? We'll take my car," she said.

"The red convertible?" I clarified.

"That's the one, see ya," Rosalie smiled before walking away with Alice.

As I watched them go, and noted how Alice wasn't doing her usual skippy steps. Though her posture was straight and her head was held high, I could still tell she was slouching on the inside. Did she really get that upset by my comment earlier, suggesting that Lauren might just be sick? Yeah, she snapped and apologized – although she probably didn't mean it – and I thought that would be the end of it. But was she still holding a grudge because of it? Seriously? I was just trying to help, and she turns it around to something else.

I shook my head and made my way to History – I was late, but I couldn't find it in me to care.

Lauren wasn't in History, nor did she make it to last period Art. I heard someone say her mother picked her after lunch, when she had practically collapsed by her table. I might not understand the whole energy-thing, but to me it looked like she was just sick. Maybe a serious case of the flu or something? But then there was Riley, and then there was the energy… and then there was Alice. And thinking that it was the flu was like slapping Alice in the face. Maybe I should just trust her on this; that Lauren was being hunted, and that was that.

But just because I chose to trust Alice, didn't mean I was going to blame Riley. For all I knew he might have been trying to help her?

Then a thought occurred to me – how come I could see Riley, and touch him, in the dream but he couldn't touch or see me? Didn't Alice say that catchers could see other catchers in the same dream? Then how come he couldn't see me? That didn't make any sense… maybe he wasn't a catcher or a hunter… maybe he was something completely different. Or maybe nothing at all? Maybe Alice was wrong, and that I actually could interact with people who the dreamer was dreaming about.

With that thought lingering in my mind, I walked over to Rosalie and Alice who were waiting by the ridiculously expensive-looking BMW convertible. I jumped in the small backseat, with Alice riding shotgun. Rosalie sensed the tension that was still lingering between me and Alice, and chose to try to distract us by talking about all the different stores we just had to check out. Though I knew she wasn't as into shopping as Alice was, and that she was just doing it for Alice's benefit, in an attempt to cheer her up, and not for her own sake.

I didn't say much during the ride over to the mall; I just hummed and nodded at the right places. If Rosalie noticed my lack of attention, she didn't mention it. Maybe she got that Alice wasn't the only one in need of a distraction.

When we reached the mall, Rosalie hooked arms with both Alice and me and steered us towards the entrance, asking what store Alice wanted to visit first. And for the first time since before our argument at lunch, she smiled genuinely and her eyes lit up like a kid's at Christmas. I guess the mall was the most effective remedy to cure bad-mood-Alice.

Alice immediately took off on her own and started towards the closet store – which held nothing but formal-dresses. I glanced at Rosalie in confusion, before we walked after Alice.

"What the hell does she need a formal dress for?" I asked.

Rosalie shrugged, as she started browsing through a rack of colorful dresses.

"Graduation, prom, Halloween, Christmas, Easter, New year's… Algebra, Lunch… Gym…" Rosalie said, and chuckled lightly to herself, "If Alice finds a dress she likes, you can be sure she will find an opportunity to wear it too."

We let Alice decide how long we were staying in each store, and she was the one leading us from one store to another. She came out with at least one bag from each onr. I silently wondered how much exactly her parents made, since she didn't even blink when she bought a pair of two hundred dollar heels just after paying the ridiculous amount of fifty dollars for a simple top.

After two hours, we took a break by the coffee-place by the new wing. The same place that Jessica had been gushing over when we came her a week before. My opinion was that she had been exaggerating; the latte wasn't nearly as good as she made it out to be, although it was better than some of the places back in Jacksonville. But still, not the best.

I looked around, and silently wondered if it would be possible to look for Riley. And would it be possible to get away from Rosalie and Alice to do it? I didn't want Rosalie to meet him, because she would probably sense whatever he was, and that would most likely cause some questions.

I had kept myself on the lookout for him for the entire time we've been there, looking through windows and watching the employees at each store. I wished I had asked Phil where he worked, that would have made this a whole lot easier.

With the mall being pretty big now, with the new wing and all, there were countless small shops and stores where he could be "hiding". I was even tempted to casually walk up to people and asking about him. But that would definitely make Rosalie and Alice suspicious.

I let my eyes wander, as Alice was telling Rosalie about the different fabrics of two dresses she bought – two dresses, which in my opinion had looked exactly the same, but the price had differed with almost fifty dollars. That was when my eyes caught the sign of the stores in front of me – _Music Mania._

_Wow, how imaginative_, I thought sarcastically.

I was just about to take another sip of my latte when I saw him.

He was standing behind the counter at Music Mania. He was leaning casually on it, with a smile on his face, his blonde hair hanging in his eyes but it didn't seem to bother him, as he helped a customer. I immediately felt the nervous tingles in my stomach. He was here. Riley was here!

I quickly glanced at Rosalie and Alice, to see if they had noticed anything. But they were still talking, no minding me. I put my latte aside and threw on the most casual expression I could muster.

"I think I'm gonna… check out some music," I said and stood up slowly.

"Great, we'll come with, there's a CD I've been dying to check out," Rosalie said and stood up to.

"No, no, you can stay here… finish your lattes," I said quickly.

"Already finished, c'mon let's go," Alice said and threw her cup aside, before walking first towards the store. I sighed and bit my lip. Maybe I should have said I was going to the bathroom – but then again, seeing as we were girls, they would probably have followed me there too.

Alice went straight to the heavy metal-section – I would never have pegged that to be her style – and Rosalie went to the hip-hop and r'n'b section. I went over to the section that was closest to the register, and glanced briefly at Riley as I pretended to look through the music on the shelves.

I picked up a CD without really looking at it as I kept my eyes glued to him.

He was talking and smiling to a customer. I noticed that he still had that adorable dimple in his left cheek when he smiled. And overall, he didn't look too different from Lauren's dream, but there _was _something off, something I couldn't put my finger on. His eyes were just as kind as I remembered them from years past, and he still had the sweetest smile, and the hair was just as blonde and slightly wavy as it hung in his eyes.

Someone cleared its throat, and I pulled my gaze from Riley and turned to look beside me. I felt myself frown before my brain even registered who was standing next to me. His bronze hair was a mess, as usual, and he was cocking an eyebrow at me.

"What do you want, Edward?" I asked sourly.

"The CD in your hand," he replied and held out a hand.

I looked at his hand and then at him.

"What?" I asked, now confused.

He sighed and looked at me impatiently, and he actually tapped his foot to enhance this.

"You asked me what I wanted, and what I want is the CD in your hand. It's the last copy, and seeing as you're staring yourself blind at the cashier, I doubt you even know what the hell it is you're holding," he replied coldly.

I looked down to see what CD I was holding. And I hated to admit that he was right; because I had no idea what the hell this was. I didn't even know what section I was in. But I'd be damned before I admitted that to Edward.

He was still holding his hand out and I cocked an eyebrow in defiance.

"Sorry, finders keepers, this one's mine," I said and held it to my chest.

He gaped at me, obviously not expecting my answer.

"You don't even know what it is!" he hissed angrily.

"And how the hell would you know? For all you know I might just love this!" I hissed back, and turned my back to him.

I walked over to the register, and put down the CD on the counter. It was not until I looked at Riley, standing behind the counter, that I remembered why I was in the store in the first place. Damn Edward for messing up my head.

"Hey, welcome to Music Mania, and what are you getting today?" Riley greeted me.

He was smiling friendly at me, as he met my gaze; there was immediately a flicker of recognition flashing in his eyes.

"Bella fucking Swan!" he exclaimed, smiling wider, and I was slightly taken aback at his sudden excitement.

"The one and only," I replied shakily.

"Oh, come here you!" he said excitedly, as he rounded the counter and came towards me with open arms. He threw his arms around me before I even had time to react, and gave me a tight hug.

When he let go, he gave me a once over before meeting my gaze again. I felt myself blush and he chuckled, before getting back to his spot behind the counter again. I could still feel his strong arms around me.

"So what brings you by, Bella? It's been a while," he said.

"Just buying a CD…" I replied slowly, unable to form any more advanced sentences.

He looked down on the CD on the counter between us and smirked.

"Classical? Really?" he asked with an amused chuckled, "You're not into Spice Girls anymore?"

"Well, I'm not eleven anymore," I replied with a shrug, hoping that my voice wasn't sounding as hysterical out loud as it did in my head. He cocked an eyebrow at me and smiled in amusement.

"Indeed you are not," he agreed, but for some reason it felt like there was more to his words than that.

I had to look away from the intensity of his gaze, and I casually browsed through the clearance box of CD's that was beside the counter, so I didn't have to look at him. I still felt his eyes on me, and after a moment I felt the urge to meet his gaze, hoping to read something in them that could answer all my questions, so I didn't have to ask them aloud.

His green-blue orbs were dragging me in, and the rest of the world didn't mean anything to me anymore. All I could think about was feeling his arms around me again.

"Where do you go to school?" I blurted, trying to fill the slightly uncomfortable silence with worthless words. He laughed quietly and shook his head.

"I managed to graduate early," he replied, "Wanted to kick start my life." He winked and I looked away again, hoping that the blush creeping up my cheeks wasn't too noticeable.

"Then what the hell are you doing back in Forks and Port Angeles?" I asked, as I browsed through the clearance box again.

"Just saving up some cash so I can go to Italy next year," he explained.

"Oh, I always wanted to go to Europe!" I said excitedly, forgetting for a moment to play it cool. And just as that though crossed my mind I snorted inwardly at myself – like I've ever been able to "play it cool" when he was around, not even when I was little.

"Maybe you could join me," he said casually, with a half shrug.

I knew he was just saying that to be nice, but the offer made my insides warm. I bit my lip self-consciously, while I silently chastised myself for feeling so nervous in his company. I wasn't eleven years old anymore, nor did I have a crush on him.

I met his gaze again, before quickly looking away, and biting my lip even harder.

Who was I kidding? Of course I still had a crush on him, how could I not?

"Hey, man!" he said suddenly, and I looked up at him in surprise. Did he just call me "man"?

But he wasn't looking at me, he was looking behind me. I turned around and of course Edward was the one standing there. Ready to destroy whatever I had going on with Riley at the moment. Pompous Jerk-Edward eyed me warily, before taking a step forwards.

"Hey… what's up?" Edward said slowly, still looking at me, but I doubted he was asking me.

"Slow day," Riley replied, "Have you met Bella?"

Edward looked at Riley and nodded.

"Yeah, we've met," he said, his voice cold and emotionless.

"You guys have similar taste in music," Riley said, pointing on the CD on the counter, "Didn't you buy the same one just last week?"

I glared at Edward – didn't he say this was the last copy? Why did he want to buy it if he already had it? Edward groaned loudly, sounding very frustrated, before answering my unasked question.

"No, that was a totally different CD, you can't even compare the two" he said, sounding very aggravated, and picked up the CD, "this is a fucking work of genius, alright? There is no copying the way the piano is on this… This shit can't be compared with anything…" he sighed and shook his head, "For a guy who works in a music shop you sure know nothing about music."

I almost smiled; who knew Edward could feel so passionately about something? And about _classical_ music at that? Riley just shook his head and chuckled; I guess they had had this conversation before.

"Then it's good I have you to keep me up to speed," Riley joked, "Because all the classical shit sounds the same to me."

"That's because you won't _listen_ to the music, you're only _hearing_ it," Edward replied sourly.

"What, there's a difference?" I couldn't help but ask.

Edward shot his eyes to me, and they flashed with a bunch of unpleasant emotions, before settling on anger and annoyance.

"Well of course there's a fucking difference," he spat, "To really feel the emotions and the thoughts behind each and every tone you need to _listen_, but most people doesn't care about that, instead they're just deciding whether or not they think the sound is good, and that is by _hearing. _They don't care about the background, because they don't listen to music, they hear it. Music isn't about being good or bad, it's about showing thoughts and emotions by sound. Music is fucking art. But I wouldn't expect _you_ of all people to understand that. "

I gaped at him. Who would have pegged Edward to have such insight? That new knowledge about him even made me ignore the fact that he just insulted me.

"And all I hear when you're talking is _blah blah blah," _Riley said cheerily.

"That's because you're not _listening_," I teased and Riley cracked up.

He held out a hand and I looked at it confused before I realized he wanted to high five me. So I slapped my hand to his and he chuckled when he saw Edward glaring at us. I guess he didn't appreciate it when people made fun of him; and that was too bad though, since I really enjoyed doing it. He shook his head once, before stalking out of the store. Riley laughed.

"That guy is fucking insane," he said, still laughing.

"That guy is a fucking idiot," I replied under my breath.

Riley smiled at me as he rung my CD up, and I reluctantly paid the fifteen dollars it cost. That was the first and last time I would ever spend any money just to piss Edward off.

"Well, I should go find my friends," I said.

"Oh, you're leaving me already?" he said and pouted, I smiled at the sight.

"I think you'll survive," I replied amused.

"Maybe until I get off work…" he said suggestively and leaned down slightly on the counter so his eyes were level with mine. I totally blanked on what he was suggesting. "Maybe we could go have dinner or something? Catch up and everything."

He was smiling at me in a way that made my knees weak, and which should be illegal. I nodded before I even thought it through. For some reason I didn't even care if he knew about my crush on him; he just asked me out for crying out loud!

"Yeah, that would be… nice," I said slowly.

"Great, I'll pick you up at eight," he decided, and I nodded again.

"Works for me," I agreed.

"It's a date," he smiled at me.

I couldn't answer that. Instead I gave him a weak smile in response, and forced my legs to move forward so I could leave the store before I humiliated myself by collapsing on the floor.

A date.

I was having a date with Riley.

I went to find him, in order to get answers to all my questions, and walked out with a _date_?

How the hell did that happen? Maybe I wasn't such a pathetic excuse for a human as I thought.

I smiled to myself as I left the store. This couldn't have worked out better even if I had planned it. I wanted to talk to Riley in private – and what a better opportunity to talk to him would I get than having an actual date with him, where he would be forced to talk to me?

I would be killing two birds with one stone; firstly, I would be able to speak to him about the dream-thing under relaxed and peaceful circumstances, and secondly; I could enjoy the fact that I was having a _date_ with him!

I froze as the realization hit me.

I was actually going on a date. My _first _date _ever_.

I had no experience in this. I didn't know what to wear, how to act or what to say. And how had I planned on actually going about it, bringing the dream-topic up anyway? It's not something that usually comes up in casual conversation. And what was I going to talk to him about anyway, to soften him up before even trying to bring the issue up? I didn't even know him!

Shit, I really hadn't thought this through at all.

Someone grabbed my frozen arm, and turned me around. Rosalie and Alice were beaming at me; I guess I had forgotten about them as soon as the word "dinner" left Riley's lips.

"What happened?" Alice asked excitedly, apparently all our earlier problems were gone now.

"Eh… I think I just got asked out," I replied slowly, not able to believe the words myself.

"Oh my god! And he was so cute!" she gushed, "Come on, we have to buy you a new outfit."

She dragged me away and Rosalie followed us. I guess a shopping-addicted friend could come in handy sometimes; even though it was dreadfully boring. So the next hour consisted of me being stuck in a dressing room, and Alice throwing items me and demanding me to try them on, before running off to find more.

"But Alice! I don't even know if it's a real date!" I argued, but Alice just shook her head.

"That doesn't matter. Dinner is dinner, and you need to look good," she said before eyeing the outfit I was currently trying on, "not that you don't look good… but you know, you can always make an extra effort," she added.

I rolled my eyes, and closed the drapes to the dressing room before pulling the clothes off and putting on the next outfit.

None of the clothes she was throwing at me were things I would normally wear. And I would never have picked any of it out for myself. But it felt like this was Alice's own way of saying she was sorry, without really having to say the words, and I guess that thought alone was enough for me to pull myself through the ordeal. For Alice.

When we finally made it out of the mall it was already after six. Rosalie drove us to my place, and they offered to help me get ready for the date. And who was I to argue?

We were just about to walk upstairs when mom came out from the kitchen. She looked up at us in surprise, but she collected herself quickly and put on her best mom-face.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were going to bring home friends. Dinner is ready in thirty minutes, but I'm sure there is plenty for you too," she said smiling at Rosalie and Alice.

"No, that's okay, we won't stay long," Alice said, "We're just helping Bella get ready for her date."

Mom's jaw dropped, and I would have been offended by her shock if it wasn't for the fact that she had every right to be surprised.

"You… you have a date? Well that's lovely dear!" she said excitedly, though sounding slightly confused as she frowned, "but on a Monday-night? Who is this boy asking you out on a school night?"

"I met Riley at the mall, and he asked me out to dinner…" I explained.

"Riley James? Oh, then by all means, go. I didn't know he was back in town," mom said.

"Phil told me yesterday, he moved back with his mother a month ago or so," I said, "And now he's working at the music-store at the mall."

Alice pulled my arm.

"Bella, we need to get you ready!" she whined.

"Go!" my mom chuckled, "Go get ready for your date."

She disappeared back into the kitchen, and we run up the stairs to my room.

"You look like your mother," Rosalie nodded as she plopped down on my bed.

I snorted. "Only on the outside."

Alice pushed me down on my desk chair and pulled out the new make-up we had bought, and then began working her magic. I didn't even ask to look in the mirror while she worked. When it came to make-up; I trusted her. Since the make-over went so well at the sleep-over, I had no reason to be worried.

And an hour later, when I was standing in front of the full-length mirror that was hanging on my bathroom door, I realized that I was right. Alice really did know what she was doing.

My make-up wasn't overdone; it only enhanced what I already had. Last time she had only used brown and beige shades on my eyes, but this time she added a little dark green, just to make my eyes sparkle she'd explain.

And my new jeans didn't look half-bad either. They were pretty tight, giving me my none-existing butt a well-deserved push. Making it appear as though I wasn't a complete flat-ass.

Alice had decided to listen to me when I said I wasn't going to buy a flashy top or a dress or anything of the sorts. And she concluded that since Riley was working in a music store he probably liked the legends, and that he liked laid-back girls. So she picked out a black, pretty tight, tee with a grey picture of the skull of Elvis Presley on it. If he asked me about the shirt, I could always say that I wore it as a joke – since Edward got so upset when he rambled on about his classical music.

Yeah, that would work.

Who would have thought this dating thing was so complicated? And I didn't even know if it was a real date anyway, he probably just asked me out as a friend. Or rather; as the sister of a friend. But was there a difference? Between a real date and a friend-date? And how would I be able to tell what it was exactly, without asking him?

"If he kisses you at the end of the date, then it was a real date," Rosalie concluded, when I'd ask them.

Riley. Kissing. Me. _Really_?

That brought on a brand new load of nerves, making my entire body immobile. Was this the night I was going to get my first kiss? And what if it was bad? What if _I_ was bad? What if I was so bad he would laugh in my face and…

I shook my head to clear it from all the horrifying scenarios that were lining up in order to terrify me even more. Like I needed to be more terrified than I already was.

I took a few of calming breaths, and tried to pull myself together.

Instead of seeing this as a real date, I should consider it a business meeting. Because I had a feeling that usual dates didn't have hidden agendas, with mysterious topics needing discussion. Yes. A meeting. Not a date. A meeting.

He could call it whatever he wanted, but to me, it was a meeting. Simple as that.

And I would not let myself get carried away by the thought of being on a date with Riley, and the possibility of him kissing me afterwards and asking me for a second date… no. There would be none of that. I would keep my eyes on the prize – and that was getting the truth out.

With ten minutes left before he was supposed to pick me up; I still didn't know how the hell I was going to go about it. And I was slightly worried too, what if I was wrong? What if he wasn't a Dreamcatcher or a Dreamhunter or a dream-anything? Maybe it was just a coincidence that he was in Lauren's dream, and maybe I could interact with other people other than the dreamer itself, and other catchers. Maybe Alice was wrong?

I threw a look at myself in the mirror; my eyes looked at doubtful as I felt. Alice wasn't wrong.

Riley was something, and I was going to find out what.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Hey, man, what's up? Did we have plans?" I heard Phil say, as he opened the front door at seven oh three.

I slowly made my way downstairs, wishing that Rosalie and Alice had stayed for this part too. But instead they had chose to leave after they've finished their work on me, saying that I was going to do great, before driving off.

"No, we don't. But I do have plans with your sister," Riley replied, just as I stepped down in his line of sight. He smiled at me, and I blushed. Phil turned and looked at me in surprise.

"You have plans with her?" he asked, looking back at Riley and pointed at me with his thumb.

Riley nodded solemnly.

"We're going out to dinner…" he explained, before turning to me, "Wow, you look great, I hope you're hungry," Riley said, flashing a dazzling smile.

I nodded. I was hungry, but I was too nervous to eat anything. And if I did, I would probably puke. And I was sure that wasn't going to go over well with him.

"It's your funeral," Phil sighed and rolled his eyes, and waved me out of the way.

Riley laughed quietly, and I followed him down the front yard to his parked car by the curb.

"I was going to take the bike, but I didn't know if that was appropriate," he said, as we drove off.

"You have a motorcycle?" I asked in awe.

"Yeah, got it last summer… it's awesome, it's like flying," he said, glancing at me, "I'll take you on a spin sometime, if you want?"

"I don't know… with my knack of always getting into accidents and tripping over air, I think it would be a bad idea to put me on a motorcycle," I replied with a nervous chuckle.

"Oh, c'mon, I wasn't saying you would drive it, all you have to do is hold on tightly to me, and you'll be fine," he said, "It would be fun…"

He looked at me again, grinning. And I was glad I was sitting down, otherwise my knees would have caved. How could a person have this affect on me? It wasn't human…

Speaking of human.

"Have you had any interesting dreams lately?" I asked, not even trying to be casual about it, and gauged his response by noting every slight difference in his expression.

But much to my disappointment, there wasn't much to note. He didn't look surprised at my question, or afraid, or surprised or anything. All he looked was amused and confused.

"Dreams? Really? You're still into that?" he replied with a silent chuckle

I quickly looked away. I had totally forgot he knew I used to ask people about their dreams when I was younger. Come to think of it, I might even have managed to ask him once… although, I can't remember what he answered.

"Dreams are a big part of us," I replied, "What happens in our sleep, and in our dreams affects our waken life more than we think… don't you think?"

He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Nah, I think dreams are just random thoughts and images and with a healthy dose of secret fantasies, come to life," he replied.

I frowned.

"Oh c'mon, you don't mind my opinion, do you?" He said, when he noticed my expression.

"No, not at all, I was just surprised," I replied honestly.

We fell into silence, and his answers kept gnawing on me.

"Seriously, so you think if one would… you know… change someone's dreams, the dreamer wouldn't be affected at all?" I asked after a few minutes of silence, I just couldn't let it go.

"And how exactly would someone change someone else's dreams?" he replied, shooting me an amused smile.

"I… I… I don't know… I was just asking, like… _if_ that was possible," I replied quietly, looking down on my hands self-consciously. This wasn't going nearly as smooth as I hoped it would, and how could it when he refused to cooperate? What was he trying to pull? I knew he knew something, so why couldn't he just… admit it.

I felt his eyes on me, but I didn't dare to look back at him. I felt like a total idiot. _He _made me feel like a total idiot. And we were only five minutes in on our date. _This is going_ _great_! I thought sarcastically. I wished I had kept my big mouth shut. I really had no sense of timing.

Note to self: _don't bring up weird topics and get annoyed when you don't get the answers you want, at least not until later on during the date. And especially not the first thing you do._

"If that was possible," he said slowly after a moment of silence, his voice low, all the earlier amusement gone, "and that's a big if… then no, I don't think it would make a difference to that person. I don't think a person needs to dream, and if someone was to… alter her dreams, then I don't think she would even notice. No one would ever know, except the one altering her dreams…"

I looked up at him; his eyes on the road, his expression somber, as if he was thinking something through.

"But why… why would you want to alter someone's dreams, if that person wouldn't even know?" I whispered, though I didn't know why. The corner of his lips lifted slightly.

"Because maybe you could get something out of it… feel better about yourself…" he suggested.

"But why would it make you feel better?"

"Power always feels good," he replied with a light shrug.

He threw a glance at me and laughed. All the seriousness from before gone.

"C'mon, Bella, lighten up," he teased and shook his head at me, "It's just dreams, not life and death."

I forced a smile and he grabbed my hand, and held it between us. I wanted to ignore the tingly feeling it stirred in me. He looked down on our hands and smiled, before looking back on the road.

"So how well do you know Edward?" he asked casually.

I wondered how this date could get any worse, and I guess I just found my answer: just bring up Edward. But luckily, this was his bad, not mine.

"Edward?" I asked, confused as to why he was even brought up.

"I sensed some tension between the two of you at the store."

"We have some mutual friends, and we're neighbors…" I replied with a sigh. I had no desire to talk about him. Ever.

"So you're not… friends?" he said, and I shook my head vehemently.

"God not, I rather die," I replied loudly.

He squeezed my hand and chuckled.

"Why don't you tell me how you really feel?" he joked and I rolled my eyes, but he didn't notice.

"Where are we going anyway?" I asked, in an attempt to change the subject.

"A nice little place in Port Angeles," he replied, "You still love pasta and mushroom ravioli?"

I looked at him in surprise, all my earlier irritation gone.

"You… what? How did you know that?" I asked in awe.

He smirked, and threw me a glance.

"I remember one time when I and my mother were having dinner with your family and you were not eating the pasta… you were inhaling it," he replied with a smile.

I blushed slightly and nodded, he wasn't very far from the truth.

"I'll try to chew tonight," I joked.

"I would love to see you try, the pasta in this place is awesome," he replied, "Even I have the occasional habit of inhaling it…"

"Well then, I guess dinner will be over fairly quickly," I noted.

"Nah, we can always order a disgusting dessert," he winked.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The evening didn't turn out that bad after all, even with the disastrous start. Maybe I wished we would have been able to speak about dreams again, but considering how bad it went in the car, I was terrified of bringing it up again. But that didn't matter, because without having the pressure of trying to get him to confess what he was, I could enjoy just being with him and enjoying my first date. And I took silent pleasure in noting that he seemed to be having a good time too.

The conversation flowed naturally, like we've been friends for years – though we've known each other for years, didn't mean we had technically been friends during those years. And there was no awkwardness between us at all. All my fears of getting tongue-tied or that we would be embedded in uncomfortable silences, was unfounded, because when it came down to it; Riley was very easy-going and easy to talk to. And he made me feel very relaxed and comfortable, taking all my worries away.

He caught me up on everything he had been up to for the last six years, and I updated him on my life. Even though I didn't really have much to contribute with, since my life for the last six years had been pretty dull. And to be honest, more had happened to me for the past week than it had in the past six years.

Although the date was great, and that Riley was too. When it came down to it, it still didn't feel quite right. I tried to shake the feeling off, and pass it off as nerves. But it didn't work. The same feeling I had in the store, about something being off, had returned; and then some. And I hated that I couldn't put my finger on what it was, and I was convinced that it had to do with what he was hiding.

If he even was hiding something.

It was almost midnight before Riley pulled up the curb outside my house, I was afraid of what my parents would say about me coming home so late. Though my mother probably wouldn't mind; she was probably so thrilled that I was out doing normal teenager-stuff, that she wouldn't mind if I took Riley back to my room. Not that I would do that.

He turned off the engine before looking back at me.

"So…" he said slowly, his eyes glued to mine.

"Soo…." I replied even slower.

He smiled.

"I had a great time tonight."

"Don't sound so surprised," I joked, as I opened my door, "But for the record, I had a great time too."

"You want me to walk you to the door?"

I shrugged, and stepped out. Riley was quickly by my side and walked me up to the porch. We turned to each other at the same time. I smiled awkwardly at him, feeling uncomfortable for the first time all evening since the car ride over to the restaurant.

"I really had a great time tonight," he said, his voice husky, "_really_."

And then it happened. I got my answer as to whether or not this was a real date.

And I guess it was, when I found him leaning in slowly, with me too afraid to move or do anything. And when his lips touched mine I was frozen solid. Like a freaking statue.

He sucked gently on my bottom lip, and I could almost taste him. I took a shaky breath, making my mouth open slightly; and I guess he was taking it as a sign that it was okay for him to continue. Since he put a hand on my neck and pulled me closer to him. The feeling of his lips moving on mine and his hand on my neck, made me come apart. I slowly began to kiss him back, copying his motions seeing as he probably knew more about what he was doing than I was.

I didn't know what to do with my hands, so I let them stay awkwardly by my sides.

When his tongue came out, and licked my bottom lip softly in a silent plea to enter, I decided it was time to stop. So I slowly pulled back and smiled weakly at him, trying to show that I wasn't rejecting him, but that I wasn't ready for that just yet.

He didn't look offended or insulted; he just looked pleased as he smiled back at me.

"We should do this again sometime…" he said, his voice still slightly husky.

I bit my bottom lip and nodded.

"Maybe," I replied.

He chuckled and took a step back.

"Goodnight, Bella," he said.

"Night, Riley."

I watched him as he made his way back to his car, I didn't walk back inside until he had driven off.

I touched my lips with my finger, and I wondered why I there wasn't butterflies in my stomach. When you get kissed for the first time, on your first date, weren't there supposed to be butterflies in your stomach afterwards? Not for me. There were no butterflies. Instead it felt wrong, and my lips felt oddly dirty.

And here I'd been, worrying about him kissing me, and how it would be for him that I never even considered how it would be for me and how I would feel. And all I felt was… nothing.

I should be happy that Riley – _Riley!_ – kissed me, and practically asked for a second date, and I should be on cloud nine. But instead I found myself firmly footed to the ground, with no warm pink fuzzy feelings whatsoever.

Riley was gorgeous. Riley was great. Riley was… off.

God, I just couldn't get past it. Something was wrong with him, I knew it, but I couldn't tell what it was, and the whole dream-discussion left me with more answers than questions. And the kiss… the kiss was… I was…

Then I was certain. And who would have thought that all it took was a simple, innocent, kiss to realize it? I obviously wasn't crushing on Riley. What other reason for me feeling empty and dirty was there?

I felt my bottom lip tremble, and the tears were rising in my eyes. I felt like an idiot, I couldn't even read my own feelings. What the hell was wrong with me?

I looked at the house across from us and I saw a lone figure sitting on the porch-steps, smoking a cigarette. Even in the darkness I could tell he was looking at me.

I quickly turned away and opened the front door. I didn't want Edward to see me cry.


	13. Family Dinner

**A/N:** A slightly shorter chapter today, but I hope you guys don't mind.

Please read and review – reviews makes my day. ;-) Maybe we could pass the 60 mark ;-)

Anyway, here it is. Chapter 12.

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 12 – "Family Dinner"**

"_**I was blessed with a gift. It's a gift and a curse. It never ends."**__**  
**_ ~ Dan Fogelberg

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I stared down my plate of the delicious steak, as I cut it into small pieces. I didn't dare to look up, so I just kept my head down and my hands busy. The food was delicious, but I was too on edge to even try eating anything. So I kept pushing the food around and ignoring everybody around the table.

I still couldn't believe I was willingly sitting there, and there was no doubt in my mind that Edward shared this thought, where he sat across from me at the dinner table.

It was Friday night, and during the past week my mom had become acquainted with Esme Cullen, Edward's mother, and Esme had invited my family to dinner at their place. I didn't want to go, obviously, but I didn't say anything about it. Phil, however, wasn't as polite as I was. He protested and tried to get out of it by saying he got plans, but my mom wasn't budging. This was a family invite, and therefore the entire family was going. My dad didn't protest or complain, but I knew him; and dinners with strange people weren't on the top of his list of favorite things to do on a Friday night either. Three out of four people in my family didn't want to go, and if our family had been ruled by democracy then we would all have stayed home. But no, in our family it was mom who called the shots, and it wasn't even worth arguing with her, because she always won in the end anyway.

But as it turns out, the joke was on me. Because in the end it was only me who wasn't enjoying myself.

My mom was discussing decorating and interior-design with Esme. My mom had never been interested in that before, but I guess that was this week's obsession for her. My mom changed hobbies every week, and I wouldn't be surprised if she was into whale-watching by next week.

My dad, Phil and Dr. Cullen was having a heated discussion about baseball, and Dr. Cullen was very excited to hear that Phil was playing and was dreaming about going pro someday.

And with all of them busy with their talking and laughing, there was no surprise that I ended up by my end of the table, quiet and miserable. But I could find some sort of odd comfort in that Edward probably was just as miserable as me, since he picked at his food looking all sullen just like me.

I peeked up at him and he probably sensed my gaze, as he looked up too. And for a moment we just looked at each other, and for once there was no animosity rolling off of him. My lips twitched and I smiled crookedly at him. He didn't respond, instead he just looked back down on his plate, without showing any emotions on his face whatsoever. I bit my lip, and turned my eyes down, feeling the familiar burn creep up my cheeks. I didn't like him, and he didn't like me, but did he have to be such an ass about it?

All I wanted now was to run a few miles to exhaust myself enough so I wouldn't be able to catch any dreams tonight. I wanted to go to the white fog and see Anthony…

I thought back on the past week, and it had been oddly uneventful. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. The days had all blurred together, and it almost had felt like I was reliving the same day over and over again, there was nothing noteworthy about anything of my second week in Forks at all. But maybe that was to be expected, not even my freakiness could make anything noteworthy happen in Forks. Forks was damned to be boring, no matter how many freaks lived here.

Edward had chosen to join us for lunch again on Tuesday; and he didn't look at me at all. Not a glance, not even once. It wasn't like he just ignored me, it was worse than that; it was like I just didn't exist to him. And for some reason it bugged me, and I couldn't figure out why. All I knew was that I should have been the one doing the ignoring, not him. Since he was the one being a jerk, and not me. And just because he was ignoring me, or acting like I just didn't exist enough to even be ignored, it made it impossible for me to ignore him. I wanted him to notice me; enough so he could notice when I started to ignore him. I know that might have been pretty immature of me, but the guy bugged me to no end! And I hadn't even done anything to him! He should be the one being punished, not me.

He had basically hated me ever since I put my foot in Forks, it seemed as if he had decided before I even came here that he would hate me and not give me a chance, or give himself a chance to get to know me, instead he decided from the beginning that I was not worth knowing. And because of his jerky behavior I wasn't going to feel bad for taking that CD before he could. He deserved it, even if I rather have spent those fifteen dollars on something else, for myself. But he deserved it; hell, he deserved so much worse.

_Maybe I should smash it in front of him. That would show him! _I thought, as I quickly peeked up at him again.

He was back to ignoring me, not showing at all whether or not he was aware of that I was looking at him. I sighed quietly and put my attention back on my plate. I had cut the steak into such small pieces it didn't even look like food anymore. I silently wondered what I would have been eating tonight if I had decided to say yes to Riley when he had asked me out again.

Because he did.

It had been like the Spanish inquisition when I came to lunch on Tuesday; with Alice throwing questions like me faster than I could answer them. She wanted to know everything about the date; what we did, what we talked about and if he kissed me. I was as honest as I could, but I chose to withhold a few important details; like the disastrous conversation we had about dreams, or the fact that I still had a gnawing feeling that something had been off about him. And that had nothing to do with the fact that I felt no butterflies… or maybe it did. I still wasn't sure.

I had replayed the date in my head numerous times since Monday, as I tried to figure out why I could feel so comfortable in his presence, with a feeling of ease, but still feel that something was off and wrong about him. It wasn't until Thursday afternoon, three days after the date, when I finally decided on something. I knew what felt wrong about him…

Me, Alice and Rosalie went to the mall after school on Thursday, I figured it out too late that Alice didn't want to go because she wanted to shop; she wanted to go there because she wanted to see Riley. So they casually strolled into the store, pretending to look at CD's while they pushed me towards the registered where Riley stood. We talked a little about our date, and he told me once again that he really enjoyed himself and that he would love to take me out again on Friday night…

And it was then it hit me.

It was the way he looked at me that was all wrong. He didn't look at like I was a friend, and he didn't look at me like I was a girl who had potential to be _more_ than a friend. No. He looked at me like he wanted something from me, something that only I could provide… something related to what I was, for sure. And that was what was off about him, because guys aren't supposed to look at you like that. Hell, _nobody_ is supposed to look at you like that…

And the reason I realized that was because it was nothing short of the way Alice used to look at me in the beginning, before she managed to drag me into their world. And I didn't even dare to wonder what that could mean; did Riley want me for the same reason that Alice did?

Could it be possible that Riley was just like us? That he wanted to do the right thing, and help people? Just because he wasn't in our group, didn't mean he was a bad guy. Maybe he didn't even know about the others, the only one he knew about was me?

Maybe he just was another good guy…

"_But why would it make you feel better?" _

"_Power always feels good." _

… maybe not.

Yeah, power might feel good; especially to people who doesn't care about anything else. But power didn't need to be a bad thing, as long as you wanted it for the right reasons. But the way he had spoken about how dreams didn't affect people, it was pretty obvious we didn't share the same opinion on the matter. And maybe that was his way of telling me where he stood, and what his agenda was, without having to say it straight out. He probably figured I would get what he was saying, without him having to say it. For all I knew maybe he didn't even know what I was, to him maybe I was nothing more than an obsessive dream-interpreter. And by being vague he could test the waters, and be honest, without exposing himself.

My mind tried to come to the conclusion that he was a bad guy. But I didn't let it. Each and every time it tried I pushed the thought back, and decided I would give him another chance and tried to come up with excuses for him. I did all I could to convince myself that he was good.

And it was the battle in my mind that finally made me drop it. I guess the mind can just take so much by contradicting itself, and I was slowly losing it. After days of dwelling I decided I wasn't going to think about it anymore. And that was also one of the reasons why I chose to say no to Riley when he asked me out again, because he confused me.

I really did want to talk to Alice and Rosalie about it, but every time I tried to bring it up something always interrupted us and when the moment passed I'd lose all my courage to bring it up again.

The three of us had become really close friends during the past week, we hung out between classes and there was hardly any moment that I was alone without either of them, and I wondered how I ever managed to survive without them.

Despite Alice's occasional mood-swings; she was the definition of over-excited. She was dancing around, talking animatedly about anything that came to mind; once she spoke well over twenty minutes about a squirrel she saw on the way to school. Nothing seemed too insignificant to her, and a part of me wondered if she just liked to hear herself talk by the way she kept on babbling. But I didn't mind, because her excited ways made it impossible for me to get dragged down by my own depressing thoughts and musings about Riley.

And Rosalie, or _Rose_, which she was now insisting that I would call her – but that I always forgot – was my rock. She could read my mood even when I didn't know it myself, I don't know if it was just her personality, or if it was a part of her ability, but she was really good at reading people even when they weren't saying anything. And the most impressing thing was that she could read Edward – the guy with the super poker-face. And she could get to him by only looking at him; once she just tilted her head slightly as she looked at him, and for some reason that made him storm off without a word. Rosalie never explained what it was about, and I guess it was none of my business anyway.

Rose had the biggest heart one could ever wish to find in a person; and she always stuck up for me and the others. Some name-less blonde spat some nasty comment at me in the hallway, and Rose immediately stalked up to her, and pushed her against the locker, telling her off. And let's just say that she got the work done, and the blonde didn't even dare to look at me anymore. And since Forks High was a pretty small school, it didn't take long for the event to spread, and suddenly everybody knew about it.

And soon enough, people began to look away when I walked down the hallway; even the few times when I was alone. Somehow I had ended up being someone to be scared of. And all because Rose defended me.

Phil wasn't happy with my ever growing friendship with them, and he tried to talk me out of hanging out with them several times. He used our ride to school as an excuse to spend ten minutes telling me that they weren't good for me, and I chose to use those ten minutes to ignore him.

By Friday, he had realized I wasn't going to take his advice and stay away from them. So instead he tried a different approach; he offered me to join him to Port Angeles, he was planning on going there to see Riley on Saturday.

Phil hadn't been happy about my date with Riley; though he tried to hide it. And I guess he did it because he rather had me date Riley than Edward. Because in Phil's world, it was obviously still a chance that I would _want_ to date Edward, and he wanted me locked away or stuck to some other guy before that happened. And by being with Riley, Phil could have control on whatever was going on. He had never been so protective of me before, and I do mean _never_. But as soon as we put our foot back in Forks, he was suddenly all about being my personal bodyguard. And it would have been slightly amusing, if it wasn't so darn annoying.

And then there was the dreams, none of them really helping me, instead they just left me tired and exhausted. Like always.

I caught the meaningless dreams of Phil and some girl, whose name I didn't know, from school – all I knew about her was that I accidentally bumped into her in the hallway that same afternoon – and since I still didn't know if I was supposed to change anything in their dreams, I didn't even know what I was looking for; I didn't know what was supposed to be changed. And the worst thing that could happen was that I ended up hurting someone by changing something that wasn't supposed to be changed. So the easiest thing was to not interact, and just take the usual backseat and let the dream play itself out.

I visited the white fog once though, the night after my date, and Anthony had been waiting for me there as per usual. He seemed a little annoyed again, but after a while he seemed to relax and we started talking about everything and nothing. I even told him about Riley… but I was still withholding the dreams-details, because by then I was still trying to figure things out. But as the week went on I decided I was going to talk to Anthony about it the next time I saw him, since he didn't know me maybe he could give me some insight on what to do about Riley without being judgmental, and Anthony was just that kind of guy that would give me his honest thoughts on the subject, and not keep anything back just to spare my feelings. So maybe he would be able to give me some good advice.

"Bella?"

I looked up from my plate and saw that they were all looking at me.

"You don't like the food?" Esme asked me, her brow furrowing in concern.

"I'm just not that hungry…" I replied weakly.

"But Bella, you don't want to insult Esme's good cooking," my mom said, her voice soft and loving – but her eyes were anything but.

"Sorry," I muttered and took a few bites just to show them.

Edward cleared his throat and looked to his mother.

"Mom, may I leave the table?" he asked, surprising me by being so polite.

"Yes, if you have finished then you may leave," Esme replied with a soft smile, "Why don't you take yours and Bella's plates to the kitchen, then show her the rest of the house?"

Edward frowned slightly but nodded, he obviously didn't want to do it but he seemed reluctant to defy his mother. We stood up, he taking our plates, and I followed him quietly into the kitchen.

He rinsed of the plates, before putting them into the dishwasher.

"So… house tour?" I asked, breaking the silence.

He looked up at me with no emotion showing on his face. A piece of his hair was hanging in his eyes, and I felt a sudden urge to reach out and tuck it away, and keep it from hiding his beautiful green eyes. Edward may be a jerk, but he was a jerk with crazy beautiful eyes, with the most unnatural and beautiful emerald color. I guess that was his best weapon when he was chasing girls. Who could anyone say no to them? Well, I could… of course. But that was because I knew he was a jerk, I guessed that many of his previous conquests didn't learn that lesson until afterwards, when he broke their hearts.

"You can just… go home or something, I can say you didn't feel well," he said, his eyes piercing me.

I gave him an incredulous look. Was he serious? Did he really hate me that much that he couldn't even give me a tour of his house? And then I figured, if this was really going to bother him – having to show me his house – then who was I to go home? He presented me with a chance of annoying him, and I would be a fool not to take it.

I wiped the incredulous look off my face, and replaced it with a wide smile.

"Why, of course not, Edward," I said sweetly, "I would love to see your house, and have you show it to me."

He glared at me and clenched his jaw, the reaction made me smile even wider. He turned and walked out of the kitchen, and I followed him every step of the way. We walked upstairs; with our steps were silenced by the heavy carpeted hallway. He sighed quietly, as he turned the corner, and walked up another set of stairs and through another small hallway before we stopped in front of a closed dark wooded door. He looked down on his hand that was resting on the handle, and tilted his head slightly to me; but kept his eyes down.

"This is my room," he said quietly.

I sighed, and my shoulders slouched. Here I was, thinking I had finally won one with Edward that he was actually going to show me his house since I refused to go home. But instead he let me follow him to his room, and by saying that it was his room he was silently telling me that I wasn't welcome… I got it. I tried not to feel rejected, I tried not to care. Why should I care? If it was the other way around, I too would have refused to give him a tour of our house.

"Well… okay then…" I said, and turned around, to walk back to the stairs.

"You wanna… come in?" he asked, the same moment I was about to descend the stairs.

I turned to look at him; the surprise must have been evident in my face.

"You're actually inviting me into your room?" I asked in amazement.

He half-shrugged.

"It beats the rest of this house," he replied and turned the doorknob and disappeared into his room. My lips twitched and turned into a smile, as I quickly stumbled my way over to the room. I stopped by the door - which he left open for me - not daring to enter.

The room was amazing. It was a corner room and faced the neighboring house, as well as the street, just like my room. He had a big king-size canopy-bed in the middle of the room, and an expensive looking leather couch by one of the windows. The built-in shelves in the walls beside the windows were filled with hundreds of CD's. And on his dark mahogany desk, there was a very advanced stereo, which was wired to a few small speakers that were hanging from the ceiling, in each corner of the room. And I noted his room was surprisingly tidy, no dirty clothes or random things littering the floor.

"You don't need to stand there, you can come in if you'd like," he said, his tone almost sounded teasing. I guess I got lost for a moment, when I took in his room. I blushed as I stepped in and he just shook his head as he began fiddling with a couple of CD's that lay next to his stereo.

I walked over to his massive music-collection and let my eyes wander over the titles. I didn't recognized any of the bands or artists, each of them too obscure and unknown to me.

"You see something you like?" Edward's voice was suddenly by my ear, and as I turned my head I found he was standing behind me – rather closely I might add. Our faces merely inches apart. I swallowed and found myself mesmerized by his jaw; had it always been that defined? I bit my lip in order not to give into any ideas…

I felt myself blush at the thought. _What was I thinking_?

Luckily he didn't seem to notice my weird reaction.

"Actually… I haven't heard of any of these," I replied honestly, still unable to force my eyes off of him. I had never been this close to him – if you didn't count the time he bumped into me in the hallway. And now he was standing so close that I could feel the warmth of his body.

He cocked an eyebrow and smirked slightly.

"Oh, really? None?" he asked, sounding amused.

I shook my head, and he chuckled lightly as he reached for a CD from the shelf that I had been looking at. His arm brushed against mine, and I ignored the flash of electric sparks it caused to run through my body.

He showed me the front of the CD to me.

"You never heard of this?" he asked, and I shook my head slowly, "Why, I'm surprised. Since you were so passionate about this composer just a few days ago…"

He gave me a pointed look, and it took me a moment to realize what he was talking about. Fuck. The CD. _The _CD. Damn it. Maybe I should have taken a look at it, and at least memorized what the hell it was. I smiled sheepishly and looked away.

"What can I say, I knew you wanted it so I couldn't let you have it," I admitted, figuring there was no reason to bother trying to weasel my way out of it.

"Of course you did," he sighed, and put the CD back in its place, "Does it mean I can have it? I mean, I will obviously pay you… for what you paid for it."

"You really want it that bad?" I said, smirking.

"I've been looking for that particular CD for quite some time… they didn't produce many copies of it, and it's been sold out for ages on every music store online and I couldn't even find it on eBay… I'm surprised Music Mania here in Forks of all places had it…" he said, his brows furrowing slightly just like they did when he spoke about his music when we met in the store. He looked so concentrated and focused, like he was talking about was something really important.

"Ever considered downloading it?"

"I don't want a pirated copy, besides… I've already looked," he replied, he frowned slightly. It seemed like such a tragedy to him that he couldn't get that freaking CD.

"You must really love music… "I said, not making it a question, he snorted lightly but not in a condescending way.

"Are you kidding?" he asked, rhetorically, "Music is my entire life. Without it I would…" he frowned suddenly as he glanced over at me, it seemed he just realized who he was talking to, and that he didn't intend on pouring his heart out to me. Because he hates me, remember?

"Must be nice to be so passionate about something," I said quietly, as I turned away and stepped away from him. I let my fingers glide over the smooth mahogany finish of his desk, as I looked over the things he had hanging on his bulletin-board above it. I found it surprising that his school schedule was actually up there, he even highlighted each class with different colored markers. Was it all a show for his parents, so that would believe that he cared about school? So that they wouldn't bitch to him about his bad attendance record?

"You don't feel passionate about anything?" he asked, his voice so quiet I almost thought I imagined it. I turned to look at him, and he was gazing at me uncomfortably, with his hands deep in his pockets.

I slowly shook my head.

"No, I never found my passion… my freakiness always got the best of me," I replied with a shrug.

He snorted, and shook his head.

"You can blame your gift all you want, but it doesn't define who you are. If you let your life go to waste and let opportunities pass you by, then you have only yourself to blame. The gift doesn't make your choices… you do," he replied coldly, he almost seemed offended by my answer.

"My… gift? You're actually calling what I can do a _gift?"_ I asked bewildered, and he just nodded solemnly. "It's not a gift… not even close. It's a fucking curse. A curse which made it impossible for me to be even in the same room as my brother, let alone look him in the eyes, for almost a week after having to watch him have sex with his teacher in every position available. A curse which makes it impossible for me to trust people, and make friends, after seeing them treat their supposed best friends like crap, by badmouthing them and assaulting them. A curse which makes it impossible to… whatever…"

My heart was racing, and I felt myself on the verge of tears.

I had never thought about my ability like this before. Because I never considered it to be anything but an ability – or an extra sense if you will. But the way Edward had described it as a gift pissed me off. Our ability may be a lot of things – but a gift wasn't one of them. And he of all people should know that.

"It's not a gift," I whispered, as I met his gaze, "It's _not _a gift. A gift doesn't get people killed."

Something flickered past his face, but he masked it up quickly with his unemotional mask that seemed to be permanently attached to his features.

"A gift is whatever you make of it," he replied, "And that's what makes it a gift. It's not good, it's not evil… but it gives you the opportunity to do both."

"Sounds like you've given this a lot of thought," I noted, while silently hating how his words made some weird sense to me; but I'd be damned if I admitted to that.

"No, it's my mother," he replied, chuckling darkly, "Ever since I was a kid she's been saying that what I could do was a gift, and that I was free to do whatever I wanted with it."

"You mom… knows?" I asked surprised, I figured he was living in secret just like me.

"Yeah, why wouldn't she? Her mom, my grandmother, could do it too… it's genetic," he replied, "You mean your family doesn't know?"

I slowly shook my head.

"No."

"Huh… but how did you figure it all out? That you were different I mean?" he asked.

"I have always been interested in dreams, and when I was little I used to ask my friends and family what they had been dreaming, and when I realized I had had the exact same dream it didn't take long for me to figure out I was different… I told my mom all about it when I was thirteen, she got furious and she forced us to move to Jacksonville," I told him, sighing deeply, "After that I knew better than to speak about dreams ever again."

"And then you moved back," he concluded and I nodded.

"Yeah, my grandma got sick and mom realized she couldn't keep us away any longer. My grandma actually came into my room last week and talked to me about catching, turns out she used to be one too…" I said with a sad smile, "But she doesn't catch anymore… she said she's done. Instead she spends all her time in her Sanctuary."

I looked out his window and towards our house across the street. How different it looked from here. It didn't even look like our house anymore.

"Do you get to visit your Sanctuary often?" I asked him, without turning away from the window.

"I'm not surprised you're asking… you're so blind," he said under his breath, probably not intending for me to hear, before speaking up, "Anytime I want, which translates to every night, I rather spend my time there than catching the random fantasies of the student body."

"Care to teach me? How to get there anytime…" I asked, not even considering the words before they left my mouth.

"No," he replied evenly.

I turned around and looked at him, but he had his back against me, he was back to fiddling wordlessly with the CD's by his stereo. I sighed and started towards the door.

"I think I'm gonna head on home."

"Okay," he said, without looking up from the CD in his hand.

I glanced back at him, when I reached the door.

"Too bad that you didn't want to teach me," I said lightly, and he looked up at me, "Because that means I'm gonna keep that CD."

His jaw tensed, and he glared angrily at me.

"You don't even want it! You can't even appreciate it!" he spat, his usual mood back in action.

I shrugged.

"It was a gift from me to me, and I decided to use it for evil," I replied.

With one last defiant glance, I walked out into the hallway and made my way downstairs. I silently congratulated myself for getting the last word in with Edward.

Phil came out from the living room, and met me by the bottom of the stairs.

"And where did you guys disappear to?" he asked, casually leaning against the wall. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't worry, brother, he's not my type, besides, I hate him," I sighed for the umpteenth time.

He looked past me, up the stairs.

"So are you gonna join me to Port Angeles tomorrow? To Riley?" he asked, looking back at me.

"Yeah, can't wait to see him!" I said sarcastically, but the way he looked at me made it obvious that he didn't catch my tone at all. He smiled at me.

"Fantastic!" he said cheerfully.

He threw another glance up the stairs, before smiling at me and left for the bathroom. I turned around, to see what he had been looking at – and saw Edward at the top of the stairs. He was openly glaring at me.

"I would stay away from Riley if I were you," Edward said, his voice low and ominous.

I glared back at him.

"Then I guess it's good that you're not me."


	14. Who I Am

**A/N:** I'm not sure whether or not the last part of this chapter qualifies as "dark themes", but I'm pretty sure the next chapter will (since it will only gets worse), so therefore I might be considering changing the rating to M, since I'm not entirely sure as to what I can get away with under a T-rating.

And if you feel that whatever is going on at the end of this chapter is offensive, then I advice you not to continue this story. Dark themes (alcohol, drugs and abuse) will appear in future chapters. But no lemons (I'm just not a lemon-writer ;-) ).

Please review and let me know what you think.

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 13 – "Who I Am"**

"_**Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind"**__**  
**_ ~ Dr. Seuss

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I flipped through the dream-book, trying to find anything that could help me and explain how I would be able to go to the Sanctuary without having to be exhausted. I almost ripped the pages out because I was so frustrated, and I wanted to blame Edward. I bet he got a kick out of seeing me struggle, it probably made him feel better about himself.

"_The Sanctuary is a place for a Dreamcatcher to recuperate and find strength. The Sanctuary appears in different ways depending on the particular Dreamcatcher's preferences. One can practice the ability to come and go in the Sanctuary as one pleases, but it's a long and difficult process, and most Dreamcatcher's never conquers that particular ability."_

I groaned out loud and gritted my teeth. It was like world was conspiring against me, trying to make me lose my mind completely. Why couldn't anything be easy?

I flipped the pages, skimming through the text before sighing in exasperation. There weren't even any hints as to what one was supposed to do to even begin to conquer the ability in going to the Sanctuary at any given time. Grandma said this book was supposed to help me, but so far it had only told me everything would be difficult and that I probably wouldn't be able to do it, as if telling me not to bother. And not even given me the opportunity to try, since there were no instructions to begin with.

I closed the book and dropped it back in the drawer with a loud thud.

I lay back in my bed and stared at the ceiling, my entire body was shaking of frustration.

I bet Edward hated me so much, and refused to help me, because he felt threatened. So far he had been the one and only Dreamcatcher in the group, and suddenly he was forced to share the thrown with me. Some random nobody who couldn't even control her ability. And by refusing to help me out, he kept himself on top, not needing to share any of the glory. Because he would remain the golden boy with the ability to help (or destroy) people, in ways the others couldn't. And it made him feel good about himself, made him feel superior. _Arrogant jerk_.

I huffed, and sat back up.

Maybe I should just… quit?

Edward was obviously strong enough to do things on his own, and since I couldn't even control anything I did, I wouldn't be much help in anything. So what stopped me from going back to what I was? A freak trying to fit in with the normal people. Never talking about my ability ever again with anyone.

I couldn't help anyone, so why even bother trying? I couldn't do this alone, and Edward wasn't going to help me. He only helped himself.

I was startled when it suddenly knocked on the door.

"Can I come in?" Phil asked, his voice muffled by the thick door.

"Yeah," I replied.

He walked inside and gave me a quick smile.

"So I just talked to Riley… I mentioned you might join us tomorrow… he got excited…" he said casually, like it didn't bother him – though we both know it did - while he let his eyes wander through my room.

"Why so?" I asked with a sigh.

"Don't ask me, I wouldn't know, but if I didn't know any better I think he's developed some sort of crush on you… for God knows what reason." He winked at me to show he was only kidding with the last part. I snorted. "He asks about you an awful lot anyway…"

"Shall I be worried about his stalkerish ways?" I joked.

"Nah, he's cool. I'm just surprised he's so interested. He didn't even look at you twice when we were kids," he replied with a shrug.

"Geez, thanks," I replied sarcastically and stood up from the bed, walking over to my desk.

"You know what I mean," he sighed tiredly, "Besides, what I think about the two of you doesn't mean a thing, I'm just glad it's not Edward fucking Cullen."

I gritted my teeth and glared at him. How many times were we supposed to have this conversation before he got it? He noticed my glaring and immediately backtracked, I didn't even need to say anything about it since he already heard it all before.

"Yeah, you said it before, you hate Edward and he hates you. Got it, but do you like Riley?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

I looked away from him and frowned. Did I like Riley? Those four small words felt very loaded to me, like the answer was going to hold more than he was asking. I bit my lip and considered it.

I didn't know if I liked him anymore, since all the dream-issues got in the way. But apart from all that, he was still good old Riley, a guy who made me laugh. Didn't I just decide I was going to quit the dream-business anyway, therefore I should look at Riley as the guy he is – and not the issues he presented. So apart from all the dream-drama; did I like him?

I looked back at Phil, who was still looking at me, and shrugged lightly.

"Maybe," I replied, and he smirked.

"Figured you wouldn't get over that crush," he replied with a sigh and walked over to my door, "and I'm sure Riley will be happy to hear it too."

He closed the door before he left the room and I went back over to my bed and plopped down on my back. I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands.

From now on I would ignore anything related to dreams. I was going to join Phil to Port Angeles, and I was going to hang out with Riley and see whether or not it was possible to like him now when I wasn't going to let dreams be an issue. And I hoped that Alice and Rosalie would still want to be my friends, after I've told them that I was quitting, and that there was more to our friendship than a common secret.

Hopefully they would understand. And hopefully they wouldn't banish me.

And hopefully, I would end up having a normal life.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I knew I should have run a few miles to exhaust myself, before going to bed – since I wasn't in the white fog. Instead I was standing in a deserted hospital hallway. Dr. Cullen was standing next to me. Staring into the distance.

"_It's quite alright_," he mumbled to himself, and looked around. I recognized the look; I've seen it before in countless dreams. He was looking for someone.

He mumbled something else, but he wasn't able to open his mouth properly, making his words slurred and totally incomprehensible. Another thing I've seen and heard before in countless dreams.

He walked down the hallway, and I followed him soundlessly, and he steered us towards an open door. When we stepped inside I found myself almost blinded by the room's brightness; everything was white, and it reminded me of the way movies and TV-shows always made heaven appear to be.

When my eyes had adjusted to the brightness, I noted that there was nothing but a standard-issue hospital bed in the room. Not even one of those generic paintings, that always hung in hospitals to give it a more homey-feeling.

He stepped over to the bed, and I walked up to the other side of it. He looked down and I did too.

I put my hand to my mouth to cover my gasp. I recognized this woman.

"_Elizabeth, there is nothing more I can do for you_," Dr. Cullen said softly.

Elizabeth, a woman with eerily bronze hair and beautiful emerald eyes, looked up at Dr. Cullen with tired eyes and a soft smile. She was the spitting image of Edward.

"_Yes, there is, Carlisle_," she said softly, "_I know my time is up, but you can still do something for me_."

"_Anything, Elizabeth, anything,"_ he said stroking her cheek.

"_Take care of Edward; I don't want him to end up in a foster-home. He's not even a year old yet, and he's already such a bright and cheerful spirit, and wise, Carlisle. Edward is such a wise soul. And I don't want that to be ruined… I want him… no, I _need _him to be raised in a loving and caring home, and I need you to be the one to do that for me," _she said, with silent tears falling down her cheeks, _"He's a special boy, Carlisle, with a special destiny."_

"_Of course, I will make the arrangements. Esme and I will be honored to raise him," _Dr. Cullen replied.

Wait,_ what_? Edward was adopted? This was news to me…

Elizabeth smiled and it looked like she aged by the second after her request was made, her body disappearing into the white sheets.

"_He must never know, Carlisle, don't tell him his mother left him_", she whispered.

Her body disappeared. Leaving the bed empty. I looked up at Dr. Cullen who was still staring at the bed, his hand down as if he was still holding on to her hand. He looked so sad, and even though he was a grown man, I still felt the urge to comfort him.

I didn't know what to say as I walked around the bed and put my hand on his arm.

"_You did a good thing_." The words left my lips without me thinking, and he turned his head to me. He didn't look surprised to see me; he just smiled sadly at me, with nothing but sorrow in his eyes.

"_Don't tell Edward_," he said to me. I frowned.

"_He doesn't know_," I said, not making it a question. He shook his head weakly.

"_He doesn't. We have managed to keep it a secret from him for so long, please don't tell my son that we're not his biological parents_," he pleaded, his voice desperate, before looking back down on the bed.

"_This almost looks like heaven,"_ I noted.

He smiled crookedly.

"_You think there would be a need of hospitals in heaven?"_ he asked.

"_I don't know… but everything just feels so clinical, white and… bright. Safe_," I replied, even though I didn't know what the hell was I talking about. I sighed, and squeezed his arm, "_you don't look surprised to see me here_."

"_Why would I be? You are a Dreamcatcher after all_," he said.

He peered at me, and chuckled lightly at my surprised expression.

"_You know_?" I asked, "_Did Edward tell you_?"

"_No, he didn't, he didn't have to. The way he looks at you, and the way he talks about you made us realize there was something more to you than his average conquest_," he replied.

"_I'm not one of his conquests_!" I protested wildly, before I let the rest of his words sink in, "_He talks… about me?_" I asked quietly, looking down on my feet.

"_Yes, he does._" He didn't expand any further, instead he smiled softly at me again and sighed, "_So, shall we get out of here? I'm sure you have more interesting dreams to attend to._"

"_This is actually one of the better dreams in a long time that I've visited_," I replied, "_I rather not spend another night being traumatized by watching my brother and whoever is keeping his company._"

He looked slightly surprised at my confession.

"_You didn't come here on purpose then?" _he asked, and I shook my head.

"_No, I didn't, why would I? No offense, Dr. Cullen, but if I had any control in any of this then I wouldn't be catching at all,_" I explained and he frowned slightly, making me believe for a second that I offended him.

"_But Edward can control this_," he stated, "_He could help you out_."

I laughed out loud at that, my voice bouncing off the walls in a way that made the laugh sound hysterical. But Dr. Cullen didn't flinch or react; he just looked at me patiently.

"_I already tried that_," I said after a moment, "_I asked him tonight after dinner if he could help me out. And he flat-out told me no. And since he hates me and I hate him, I'm not surprised that he refuses to help me_."

"_Hate is a strong word, Bella, and one should not hate the only one in this world who would understand,_" he said, giving me a pointed look.

"_I don't want him to understand. I don't need him to understand either. I've already decided that I'm over this… I'm not gonna care about it anymore. I quit_," I replied.

He chuckled again, shaking his head.

"_You can't quit who you are_," he stated simply before smiling and putting his hands out.

He gave me a soft push, but the force behind it surprised me and I tumbled backwards. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the blow by hitting the floor. But the blow never came.

I opened my eyes, and found myself staring at my ceiling.

I climbed out of my bed and walked over to the window, looking at the house across the street. The house was embedded in darkness, apart from the porch light. I gave the house one last glance, before turning around and going back to bed.

_You can't quit who you are_.

Really, Dr. Cullen? You just watch me.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Alice," I groaned into the phone and rolled on to my back, "It's nine a.m. on a freakin Saturday, why on earth are you calling me?"

Alice giggled and I groaned again, how one could be so chipper so early in the morning, especially on a Saturday, was beyond me. Was nothing holy anymore?

"I'm just calling to ask if you wanted to come over to my place tonight. Emmett has bugged Rose all week about him wanting to get wasted, so we're thinking about busting whatever party is going on in Forks, and then go to my place and have actual fun," she prattled and I yawned.

"Sorry, I can't," I replied, "I promised Phil to join him to Port Angeles tonight…"

"Oh, whatcha gonna do there?"

"Riley is having a par-"

"Well that sounds a hell of a lot more fun than what Emmett wanted to do, can we crash?!" she asked excitedly, cutting me off.

I bit my lip and stared at the ceiling, while contemplating how to turn her down without hurting her feelings. For some reason it felt like it just couldn't be done.

"I'm… well… I don't think Phil would like that… you know… he doesn't really approve of my friendship with you guys, and by bringing you it would only fuel the fire," I replied quietly.

She was quiet for a moment – but seeing as it was Alice, it felt like so much longer. She was never quiet. She always had something to say. Because she was never found speechless.

"Oh," she said finally.

"Trust me, Alice, it's not like I don't want to hang out with you guys, you know I love you, but I haven't really hung out with my brother since we moved here… and we used to be pretty close, then we moved here and everything just… gaah, I don't even know what I'm doing anymore," I said and sighed loudly.

"Don't worry about it, I understand," she replied softly, "It's just that we could have used you tonight… and we really need to talk to you about something."

"And this 'something' doesn't have anything to do with dreams, now would it?" I asked in a dull voice, and she sighed softly in my ear.

"Yes, it does," she replied, "And it's about your brother."

I sat up straight in my bed.

"What about my brother?" I asked aggravated, "He can't do what I can, he doesn't even know I can do whatever it is I do… so don't you dare pull him into this!"

"No, I wasn't planning on it," she replied quickly, sensing my tone, "It's about something Rose sensed…"

"I've been stuck in his dreams twice this week, so don't worry. It's probably just my restless energy that got stuck to him," I sighed uninterested.

"Yes, might be so, but we still want to talk about it," she said.

"Listen, Alice, I really appreciate it and everything, but seriously, I want a night off tonight. I wanna hang out with my brother, Riley and their friends and just… be me, okay? I don't want the dreams to be the only thing going in my life, okay?" I said seriously.

"Yes, I know that, and we're all been there, but you know you can't run from what you are!" she said patiently, echoing Dr. Cullen's words from last night, "And seriously, Bella, who can you be yourself with more than us? You don't need them."

"So I've been told," I muttered, "I'll see you Monday, okay? I gotta go…"

"If you're not too busy being normal," she said, an edge to her voice, before hanging up on me.

I sighed and threw my phone aside. What a wonderful way to begin the day.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I couldn't help but feel like I was trying to prove a point by joining Phil to Port Angeles, later that day. My "talk" with Dr. Cullen and my phone call with Alice, had both left me frustrated and fairly irritated. Who were they to tell me what I could and could not do? I had managed to "ignore" my ability for the past four years, so what difference could it make if I continued doing just that? Excuse me for wanting to do something, and hang out, with people who didn't know about me, or just wanted to use me for it.

I shook my head at myself. A week ago I was happy to be a freak amongst freaks, and embrace my ability and hang out with people who knew what I was going through, and now I was turning them down? Yes, I loved Alice and the others, and I was very grateful for having them in my life. But once in a while I guess I just needed to get back to my ignorant ways, and just be with "normal" people. Even if I still felt like I freak amongst them.

It felt like I didn't even know myself anymore, now even my own mood-swings were giving me whiplash.

It was a little after five when we parked outside an old apartment building at the edge of Port Angeles. We stepped out of the car, and I followed Phil into the building, and up three sets of stairs. We walked through a narrow hallway, before stopping in front of a door, Phil knocked twice, and a moment later Riley opened up, giving us his signature wide smile before stepping aside and letting us inside.

"I'm glad you guys could make it," he said to us, although he was looking at me when he said it. I smiled meekly as he took my jacket.

We walked into the living room, which was littered with beer bottles and plastic cups.

"The party got pretty wild last night, I haven't had time to clean it all up," Riley explained with a shrug, "but then again, why bother? Since it's just gonna get worse after tonight," he added, before plopping down on the couch, and Phil plopped down beside him. They both picked up the video-game controllers that lay on the table in front of them, and without a word they began playing whatever game was on.

I removed a plastic cup from one of the chairs, before sitting down. I watched as they kicked each other's ass on screen, and I silently wondered how one could ever find these games entertaining. What was the goal? Kick the other till he died? Where was the fun in that? Seemed fairly monotone to me.

"Bella, you wanna play?" Riley asked me, without removing his eyes from the screen.

"I think I'll pass," I replied with a bored tone, and slumped in the chair.

"Bella is a pacifist," Phil smirked, but I didn't pay either of them any attention, I just picked on my nails, while wondering what Alice and the others were up to, whether or not they were gonna crash a party… I hated to admit it, but that had sounded quite fun. To crash a party with them, I could just imagine the faces of our fellow classmates if they did.

It knocked on the door, but Riley didn't make any motion to go open it. But I guess he didn't have to, since it swung open anyway and three guys and a girl walked in.

"'Sup guys?" Riley said, nodding towards them, but still kept his eyes on the screen.

The three guys immediately turned their attention to the screen and the girl rolled her eyes, and looked at her well manicured fingers. I couldn't help but feel slightly mesmerized by her strawberry blonde mane; I bet she used tons of products to make it that shiny. She had one of those ridiculous model-bodies, and she reminded me about Rosalie, in the way she seemed to carry herself. With authority and confidence. And I wondered what nasty comment Rosalie would have muttered to us if she had been there. Rosalie didn't handle competition well…

"Why don't you girls go grab us some beers?" one of the guys said, and the girl snorted.

"Yeah, and since when did you lose the use of your legs?" she retorted.

"Since I sat down," he replied, smirking, "So why don't you be a good girl and go grab us a few beers, aight?"

She rolled her eyes again before looking at me, and motioning me to follow her. And since I had no particular interest in staying in the living room I stood up and left the room with her.

The kitchen wasn't as littered as the living room, but it was evident that Riley hadn't cleaned in quite the while. There were boxes of Chinese-food and pizza on the table and the counters, and something green and slimy was swimming in the bottom of the sink. And the room had a hint of an odor in the air and I crinkled my nose in disgust, it smelled like mildew. How could his mother let them live like this?

"Disgusting, right?" the girl said, as she opened the fridge and looked inside.

"No kidding," I replied, still crinkling my nose, "How can he live like this?"

"Riley's never been much of a cleaner, you'll get used to it," she replied.

She picked up two bottles of beer from the fridge, and handed one of them to me before closing the fridge-door with her foot. She leaned against the counter – the only one that looked even remotely clean - and twisted of the cap of her beer and took a deep swig of it before looking back at me with a curious expression.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," she said sweetly and tilted her head a little to the side.

"Bella," I replied, twisting the cap off of my own beer and taking a drink just to break the gaze.

She smirked and nodded.

"Bella, yes. I've heard of you," she said, and for some reason she found this amusing. I wondered _what_ she had heard about me exactly.

"And you are?" I asked, and she laughed lightly.

"Where are my manors?" she laughed, and held out her hand, "I'm Tanya."

I froze for a tenth of a second, before forcing myself to return her smile and shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you," I said weakly and she smiled.

"Same to you," she replied politely and tock another swig of her beer.

"Hey! Where are our beers, woman?" one of the guys hollered from the living room.

"Get it yourself, fatass!" Tanya hollered back, "Fucking jackass," she muttered.

I took a deep swig from my beer. I ignored the slightly bitter taste, as the liquid went down my throat. I honestly didn't enjoy the taste, but I kept on drinking it anyway.

Something told me I would need it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

More and more people turned up and joined the party, and it didn't take long for the guys to abandon the video-game and turn on some music instead.

Riley had an arm around my shoulders, talking animatedly with a guy with ash blonde hair, which was styled into a mohawk. I didn't catch his name, but I think it was Felix or something.

"Can I get you another?" Riley asked me and clunked his empty bottle to mine.

I shook my head.

"I'm not done with this one yet," I replied.

I was only on my second beer; while Riley must have been on his fifth or sixth by now. And I just couldn't keep up with him, or anybody else for that matter. The taste of the beer was nauseating and I could only take small sips at the time, or else I would puke.

Riley left my side, to go grab a beer I assume, and I was left alone with Felix – or whatever his name was. I honestly didn't care.

We stood there in an uncomfortable silence, and I was considering doing a beeline for the bathroom when he cleared his throat and gave me an eerily slow once-over.

"So… you're Riley's girl, huh?" Felix asked, and I forced a smile.

"No, not really," I replied uncomfortably.

Riley came back, and startled me when he slung his arm back around my shoulders.

"Of course you're my girl. It's in the stars. We're meant to be together," he said, nuzzling his nose into my hair, making me even more uncomfortable. The gesture felt too intimate and personal, and by doing that it felt like he was marking me. And I didn't really know how I felt about that.

"We're more alike than you know…" he mumbled, before kissing my temple. I felt myself blush and he pulled me tighter to him. "C'mon, Bella, drink up, and then we can get this party started…"

I put the bottle to my lips and took a few deep gulps, and I did my best to ignore the bitter taste. Dear God, how could they drink this piss like water?

"Good girl," he smirked.

He dragged me away towards the living room, and pulled me down on his lap as he sat down on the armrest of the couch, as if I wasn't allowed to leave his side. He kissed my neck and squeezed my waist gently with his hand. Again, this should make me feel good. For the first time in my life a guy a guy actually liked me, and I liked him… but where were the butterflies? I still couldn't feel them, and they should be there, right?

"EDDIEBOY!" he hollered suddenly, the sound making me cringe since his face was basically by my ear. But instead of bicker with him for almost making me deaf, I followed his gaze and it landed on Edward, who was standing by the door to the kitchen, leaning casually on the doorframe. He was dressed in dark jeans and a black button down shirt, leaving a few of the buttons unbuttoned so you could see the dark wife-beater her was wearing underneath. He looked dark and dangerously… _sexy_.

I felt something flutter inside of me. Cue the butterflies. _Damn it._

Edward frowned slightly as he nodded to Riley, and slowly made his way over to us.

"I didn't think you come, thought you were going to stay home in sleepy Forks tonight?" Riley said.

Edward cocked an eyebrow.

"Let's just say someone made me change my mind," he replied, at the same moment as Tanya danced up behind him and hugged him from behind. She kissed his neck but his eyes didn't stray from me and Riley.

"Why yes, Tanya can be very persuasive when she wants to be," Riley chuckled and pulled me impossibly closer to him, my back pressed against his chest, and he rested his chin against my shoulder. What was with this sudden display of affection?

"Yes, she can," Edward agreed, and turned his head so he was looking at Tanya. She smiled widely at him and stood up on her tiptoes so she could kiss him. He closed his eyes and kissed her back. The sight made whatever was fluttering inside me flutter harder, and for some reason I felt the sudden urge to cling to Riley as if my life depended on it.

I shifted in his lap, so my side was pressing against Riley, and I could see his face. He smiled at me and leaned in and kissed me.

"You want another beer yet?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Yes, this one's empty," I said showing him my bottle.

"I'll go get one," Tanya offered quickly, smiling at me before disappearing into the kitchen again. To say I was surprised by her eagerness was to put it lightly. But who was I to argue with a hot blonde? Especially if she was being nice. I saw how Edward watched her walk away, and whatever fluttered in my stomach was reacting again. Maybe the beer was getting to me after all…

When Tanya returned with my bottle she had Phil with her. She handed me the beer and I thanked her, and I noticed she had already even twisted the cap off for me. How nice.

"Hey Phil, you know Eddie?" Riley asked, and Phil glared at Edward.

"We got to school together, yes," Phil replied calmly.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you were still in school," Riley replied and jokingly slapped his forehead, "And you're neighbors, right? I think Bella mentioned that…"

He turned to look at me again and I took a drink of my beer, and just as the bottle left my lips he leaned in and kissed me softly again.

"Dude, c'mon, that's my sister," Phil complained.

As we both turned to look at him - Riley smirking - I noticed that Phil wasn't looking annoyed or irritated that his best friend was kissing his sister, instead he looked kind of pleased. Probably because Riley wasn't Edward. Because God forbid I would kiss Edward…

Not like I wanted too anyway…

"Let's get out of here, Ed, to somewhere more private," Tanya said, with a suggestive tone, as she pressed herself against Edward. He looked down on her a soft smirk gracing his lips.

"Anything you want, babe," he replied, letting her drag him off.

As soon as they were out of earshot Phil returned to glare at us.

"Seriously dude, what the hell is that idiot doing here?" Phil asked.

"He's a cool guy, he's been visiting the store every day since I've worked there, and we hit it off, he's a cool dude," Riley replied with a casual shrug.

"Maybe he has a crush on you," Phil grunted, and shook his head, Riley laughed.

"Doubt it. No way he's gay with the way he's been doing with Tanya," he replied.

"So… they're serious?"

"You kidding? I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up married, they're liked glued together."

I didn't want to hear this conversation, so I removed myself from Riley's grasp and he looked adorably disappointed as I did so. I smiled softly at him.

"I'm just going to the bathroom, okay?" I said and he nodded.

"Don't be too long, I'll miss you," he said and I rolled my eyes at his antics, before turning around and walking off to find the bathroom.

I realized I must have misjudged my tolerant for alcohol; since my steps were already faltering a little, and I had trouble of walking straight. I had only had two and a half beers, how was it even possible to get drunk so fast?

Suddenly an arm shot out from nowhere and yanked me aside. I was embedded in darkness, and I heard a door close, and a lock turn – it was dark only for a moment, as someone flicked the switch and the room was embedded in light.

It took a moment for me to register where I was, with my mind being all over the place. But once I had identified the room, I nodded to myself; at least I managed to find the bathroom.

I looked around to see who had yanked me inside, and I flinched as I found Edward's hard eyes staring at me. He was standing not even a foot away. His dark clothes and menacing gaze made him appear frightening, and I wondered if I was supposed to be afraid of him…

I sat down on the toilet; glad that the lid was already down, or else it would have been embarrassing.

Edward looked down on me and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Do you want to get yourself killed, is that what this is about?" he hissed.

"What are you… talking about?" I asked, trying to focus on his face, but with each passing second it became more and more difficult.

"I'm talking about you. And this party. What the hell are you doing here? And why aren't you at Alice's?"

"Because Phil asked me first if I wanted to join him… so I did," I shrugged, and I almost giggled at the feeling. My shoulders felt like rubber, and that my arms weren't even attached to my shoulders. Did all drunk people feel this?

"Oh my god, how much have you had to drink?" he asked, his face disgusted as he looked at me.

"Two and a half beers," I replied and put the bottle to my lips again, but I never got to finish it since he grabbed the bottle away from me.

"Seriously? Two and a half?" he asked incredulously.

"Trust me, I can count, I'm not stupid," I said slowly, making an extra effort to make my words comprehendible.

"You could have fooled me," he retorted and poured the content of my beer down the drain.

He threw the bottle in the trashcan, next to the sink, and looked back at me. He was quiet for a moment, and I did my best to give him the stink eye, but I don't think I managed to do such a good job.

"Bella, how well do you know Riley?" he asked, leaning back against the sink.

"I've known him since I was a little kid… I used to have the biggest crush on him… the guy is dreamy," I replied, each word slurring more than the last, I wondered if he could even understand what I was saying.

My head dropped down and I immediately felt Edward's warm hands on my cheeks, and he tilted my head up so he could look at me.

"Bella, seriously, how much did you have to drink? You're fucking wasted," he said, sounding surprisingly panicked.

"I told you," I sighed, "Only two… and a half… the half that was left just went down the drain…"

My words were so slurred even to me; I was sure at this point that he couldn't understand me. But I didn't care, instead I closed my eyes and relished in the feeling of his warm hands on my cheeks. It felt good. Like they belonged there. The butterflies liked it too…

"The butterflies likes it…" I slurred, before the darkness washed over me.

And I was no longer aware of anything.


	15. Blood

**A/N:** This chapter is mostly a filler. The event I had planned to take place in this chapter just felt rushed when I tried to write it, so I decided to pull it and put it into a future chapter instead.

Therefore, the darker chapters are yet to come. This chapter, and probably the next one, will be pretty harmless (but I guess it's all relative). :-)

Please review – it means a lot to me to know what you think! Anonymous reviewers ARE accepted. You don't need to have an account to review. ;-)

The next chapter will be up tomorrow…just in case anyone wanted to know, hehe.

Anyway, here's chapter 14. It's a filler, but it does fulfill a purpose.

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 14 – "Blood"**

"_**No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow."**__**  
**_ ~ Euripides

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I slowly opened my eyes, but the light was too bright so I closed them quickly again. I tried to raise my arm, but it felt like I wasn't even connected to my own body anymore, so instead of trying to move I concentrated on my breathing. It was a simple task, for sure, but it was harder than it should have been, it felt like the air didn't want to go down my lungs, like it didn't belong there or as if something was keeping it from getting to where it was supposed to be.

The air around me felt misty, leaving a light sheen of wet on my skin. Where was I?

I opened my eyes again, slowly, so I could adjust to the light. And the first thing I noticed was thick fog and mist. Gray fog and gray mist. But this wasn't my fog, was it? My fog was always bright white, but this was murky and dark.

I tried to connect my arms to my body as I slowly attempted to sit up. After a lot of effort I managed to do so. I looked around and frowned. It looked just like my fog. Just that it was gray instead of white and that it felt… wet.

"_Hello?_" I called out, my voice sounding incredibly hoarse as it echoed back to me.

"_Bella? You okay?_" a sweet velvety voice called back from a distance, I sighed in relief. I would recognized that voice anywhere, I've learned to depend on it.

"_Anthony_," I breathed.

"_Eh… yeah_," he sighed, for some reason he sounded disappointed or maybe he was just tired.

"_Where are you?_"

"_Doesn't matter. Are you okay?_" he asked, his voice coming from every direction and none at all at the same time. How was this even possible?

"_What is going on? This is creeping me out_," I complained.

"_Do you remember at all what happened before you passed out?"_

"_Passed… what?"_

What was he talking about? And why couldn't I see him or sense him at all? I frowned and looked around, refusing to accept that only his voice were here. But saw nothing but mist and fog.

"_What is going on_?" I asked frustrated.

"_Do. You. Remember_?" he asked again slowly.

I sighed as I tried to retrace my steps, which led me here to this murky place.

I remember waking up. Alice called, being her usual chipper self, and giving me shit for wanting to be normal for a night… oh yeah, Port Angeles. Phil took me there, Riley had a party. Edward was there too. I drank a couple of beers, I went to the bathroom… or did I?

I shook my head and tried again.

I remember Riley kissing me, and hugging me close to him. And he said something to Phil about Edward and Tanya… they were glued together. And I remember that I didn't want to hear it. None of it. So I excused myself and…

And _what_? And _WHAT_?! What happened next?

"_I remember a party… I had a couple of beers…_" I said meekly, feeling defeated.

"_How are you feeling now… are you okay? You feel weird at all_?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. He didn't even sound like his usual confident self, he sounded lost.

"_I don't know_," I replied honestly, "_This place… what is this place_?"

"_The Sanctuary of course… what else_?" He asked bewildered and confused.

I took a few tentative steps into the mist, it was freezing.

"_It doesn't look right… it's all gray and murky and… freaking cold,"_ I complained.

My voice echoed back to me, and it felt like he wasn't even there anymore. Not his voice, not his shadow, not anything. I couldn't feel his presence at all anymore. It was eerily quiet, and I felt ridiculously alone.

"_Wake up, Bella... Just wake up." _His voice was soft and pleading, and it sounded like it came from a distance. But I didn't care though, all I wanted to do was to do what he asked, and get the hell out of this place.

I blinked a few times, trying to force myself to wake up, but I couldn't do it.

"_Bella, wake up…"_ If it hadn't been eerily quiet in the fog, then I wouldn't have heard him. It was nothing but a weak whisper at this point.

Then I felt something on my arm. I looked down on my forearm and I could see the indention on my skin from the invisible fingers squeezing my arm, and the touch left me with sparks going straight up my arm and spreading throughout my body.

"_Bella_." it wasn't even a whisper anymore, it was nothing but the sound of the motionless wind.

I closed my eyes again, and felt the invisible hand squeeze my arm again.

When I opened my eyes again I found myself staring into a pair of emerald pools.

Edward stroked my cheek and tucked back my hair behind my ear. He looked immensely tired.

It took me longer than it should have to force myself from staring into his eyes, and to take in my surroundings. The first thing I noticed was the rows of CD's on the built-in bookshelves. Apparently, I was laying in his bed, and he was sitting on the floor beside me.

"What am I doing in your room?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

"I didn't feel comfortable leaving you passed out in a bathroom, so I decided to take you home," he replied, he was frowning slightly, leaving a wrinkle between his eyebrows, and I didn't like it, it ruined his beautiful face.

"Then why aren't I home?" I asked.

"Because I doubt your mother or father would be so pleased, if I turned up with you unconscious in my arms."

I wanted to snort at that, but I didn't have it in me. Why did he care what happen to me? But just as I thought it I realized he was probably just looking out for himself, because my parents would have most likely blamed him for my unconsciousness rather than put the blame on me. Because in their eyes, I was still a good girl.

"What about Phil?" I asked.

"He doesn't know," he replied, and leaned back on his arms, "You passed out in my arms, and I snuck you out of the apartment before anyone noticed and took you here…"

"I guess I should thank you," I said and tried to sit up, but Edward's hands shot out quickly and pushed me back down.

"I think it would be wise if you didn't try to move for a while," he said.

"I wanna go home… what's the time anyway?" I asked.

He pulled out his phone and looked at the clock and sighed.

"A little after four a.m," he replied.

"They're gonna wonder where I am," I argued.

"I was told you were gonna spend the night in Port Angeles, so I don't think you need to worry about it," he replied, with an edge to his voice.

"Yeah? And what about Phil? He will know I disappeared."

"Don't worry about Phil, he had his hands full when we left…" he sighed, and ran his hand through his unruly hair.

I rolled on to my back, and it felt like my mind wasn't in sync with my body, since it took the mind a second longer to register the movement my body just made, and it made me dizzy.

"Is it even possible to get drunk and actually pass out after two beers?" I groaned, and pressed the heels of my hands to my eyes.

"I doubt it, but then again I wouldn't put it past you to manage to do just that," he replied.

I let my hands fall to my sides and turned my head slowly to the side so I could glare at him.

"Fuck you, Cullen," I said, trying to sound venomous but just ended up sounding whiney.

He chuckled darkly and shook his head.

"What a great way to thank me for saving your ass," he replied under his breath.

He stood up and walked out of my sight. I slowly rolled over to my stomach, careful to let my mind follow the movements so I wouldn't get myself dizzy again, and buried my face into his pillow - which turned out to be a mistake, as his scent violated all my senses. I couldn't identify the scent as one; it seemed to be a mix of numerous things. It smelled sweet and musky at the same time. Was this his aftershave or something, or was it his natural scent? I bit my lip as I contemplated this, Edward didn't seem like the aftershave-using type. The scent was well-balanced and very… delicious.

_Dear God, I must be delusional. I just described Edward's scent as delicious_, I thought, and hated myself for being so vulnerable in his presence. He shouldn't be the one saving me. He didn't even like me.

"Why did you do it?" I asked, my voice muffled by the pillow.

"Did what?" he asked quietly.

"Save me, why didn't you just let me pass out and leave me be."

"You would get hurt. Those people you insisted on partying with aren't safe," he replied.

"Yeah? Then what the hell were you doing there?" I retorted, and peeked up from the pillow.

He looked back at me and cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Alice called me. She said you weren't coming, and that you were going to a party in Port Angeles with _Riley James," _he spat the name out like it was venomous and I frowned, "and I knew it wouldn't be safe for you to be there on your own."

"Safe for me? Riley isn't dangerous," I argued and he rolled his eyes.

"Oh please, don't kid yourself," he snorted, "I know what he is. And I know you know too, so quick the innocent act, because it ain't working."

My mind wasn't quick enough to gather up a response, so I didn't even bother. Instead I just glared at him, and he shook his head at me.

"And what exactly would he be?" I asked, still glaring at him.

He gave me a look, before looking back on whatever CD he was holding in his hand.

"Do you care about anything at all besides yourself and your music?" I asked when he refused to respond to my earlier question.

His lips twitched slightly, before he collected himself and frowned.

"Why yes, I do. But I don't expect you to understand that," he replied quietly, putting the CD back on the shelf before walking back over to the bed and sitting down on the empty side, he removed his shoes and his black button up shirt, leaving him dressed in only his dark jeans and white wife-beater. I bit my lip and tried not to ogle him, but my eyes didn't seem to be able to cooperate.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice slightly shaky, as he lay down next to me.

"Like I said, it's four fucking a.m, and I intend on getting some sleep, and the couch is fucking uncomfortable," he replied without looking at me.

Were we supposed to sleep in the same bed together? Was he joking? Yes, the bed might be wide enough for the both us, and we wouldn't even need to be touching. But still… it was weird.

"I don't think I'm comfortable with that," I replied meekly.

"Then feel free to take the sofa, because I'm not leaving this bed," he replied coolly, and turned his back to me.

I glared at his back, not minding how the fabric of his shirt hugged his body and showing off his muscles, before turning to my side so my back was against him.

Though I couldn't see him, I could still sense his presence, and the fact that this bed smelled like him didn't really help matters.

"Riley is a good guy, and he likes me, he's never been nothing but good to me, unlike some people, so excuse me if I won't take your advice and keep away from him," I muttered after an eternity of silence.

"I would not put the words _good_ and _Riley_ in the same sentence, if there wasn't a 'not' in there somewhere," he muttered back.

"You obviously don't know him then," I huffed.

He snorted, and I guess that ended that discussion. I hugged the pillow and curled up into fetal position. The only sounds were our breathing, and the fact that I could hear him breath made me even more aware on how close we were. The electrical current between us felt even more prominent than ever. And my fingers itched to reach out for him. To touch him. And I didn't understand it.

I hated Edward. With every fiber of my being – I hated him! So why did I want to touch him? Why did I want to spend the rest of my life staring into his beautiful emerald eyes? Why did I want his strong arms to hug me close to him? And why, oh why, did I feel so weird when I saw him kiss Tanya… and why did I wish I was her?

I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut.

I didn't care if he just saved me from a hell of a lot of embarrassment by taking me from that party. One good deed didn't make up for all the shitty things he had done. He had been mean since day one, and he refused to help me out even though he knew I needed it, so I really hoped he knew better than to think that this thing was going to erase all the shitty things he had done.

I don't know how long I lay there, listening to our breathing, but soon I heard his breathing even out, and I assumed he fell asleep. I turned my body carefully to look at him. He still had his back against me. I slowly sat myself up, careful not to shake the bed or make any sudden movement so he would wake. Then I stood up and left the bed.

My entire body felt heavy, as if I gained twenty extra pounds since yesterday, and I was sure it had nothing to do with the beer. There was no way I could have reacted this badly after just two beers. And a half. It must have been something in it… but who would want to drug me? Maybe I was just paranoid, and maybe I was just a lightweight…

It was not without effort that I moved around the bed, towards the door. But before I reached it, I turned my head to look at Edward, even in his sleep he was frowning. His lips were twitching, like he was trying to say something, maybe he was dreaming.

It was not a conscious decision when I found myself moving slowly towards him. I crouched beside him, and lifted my hand to slowly stroke back the hair that was hanging in his face. I softly put a finger on the wrinkle between his brows, it melted away and he seemed to immediately relax. I smiled to myself, he really did look better when he wasn't frowning. A frown was a disgrace to his beautiful face. Too bad the interior didn't match the exterior. If he had been even half as decent as a person, as he was good looking, then he would be the nicest person alive. But I guess it was impossible to get both in life. It was either looks or personality. And he obviously got the looks, and I got… nothing.

"Bella…"

I was startled as my name quietly left his lips. I thought for a second that he was awake. But as he kept his eyes close, and his breathing even, I assumed he was still sleeping.

The fluttering sensation in my stomach, which I had felt when I saw Edward at the party, was back when I grasped that it was _my _name he whispered in his sleep. Did this mean he was dreaming about me? I shook my head at myself; _that was ridiculous_.

I discarded the thought as soon as it flickered past my mind, since Edward couldn't dream. And neither could I. So there was no reason for him to whisper my name in his sleep.

"Bella." This time he sighed, sounding disappointed, and the frown was back on his face.

I slowly stood up and took a few steps away from the bed. I didn't know what to think. Why did he keep saying my name in his sleep? He couldn't dream about me. It was impossible.

I swallowed and tried to ignore the fluttering in my stomach, and quickly turned around and walked over to the door. I couldn't get out of this room, out of this house, fast enough.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The only light that was on in our house was the porch light, the rest of the house was embedded in darkness. I stumbled my way up to the door, and when I turned the doorknob I found it to be locked. And I didn't have my keys on me.

I groaned and stomped my foot. I was not in the mood for banging on the door until mom or dad opened up, especially since it was four in the morning, and they would most likely be pissed at me for coming home at this hour.

I looked around and silently wondered if we still had an extra key hidden here somewhere…

My eyes found the old flowerpot next to the porchsteps, I crouched beside it and tilted it a bit to the side, and I sighed in relief when I saw the dirty key. At least some things never changed.

I quickly locked up the door, before putting the key back in its place, and walking inside. My stomach grumbled, and I decided to grab something to eat before heading back to bed. But the first thing I noticed, when I flipped on the lights in the kitchen, was a big note stuck to the fridge-door.

I walked over to the fridge, and took the note off before reading it.

"_Phil & Isabella,_

_Grandma got worse tonight, and we had to take her to the hospital. _

_We have our cell phones with us, please call us when you get home._

_Love mom & dad."_

It was written with mom's handwriting, and as usual mom wasn't really saying anything with the note. She was really bad at leaving notes – she always left us with more questions than answers, so I wondered what the point in writing the note was in the first place.

_Grandma got worse _– how can those three words ever mean something good? Were we supposed to be worried? And if it was really serious, wouldn't mom have said so in the note? Probably not.

Mom had a habit of writing down as little as possible, and that was something that irked Phil to no end. When someone was calling for Phil, and he was not home when mom answered, she usually only wrote down the first name of the person who called – and not a number or last name. And with Phil's ever growing circle of friends, that was usually a problem… since many of his friends had the same first name.

But despite her bad note-writing habit, I still thought she could have put down a "don't worry" at least, or something that indicated how bad the situation was.

I put the note back on the fridge, so Phil would see it when he came home, before trudging up the stairs and to my warm bed. No reason to call my parents at four in the morning.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

My bedroom door flew open and banged against the wall, and I sat up straight in my bed, startled by the sudden nose.

"Where the hell did you go?!" Phil yelled at me, his face red and his usually well kept hair was disheveled, his shirt was untucked and it looked like he had slept in his clothes.

"What?" I croaked, and he glared at me with bloodshot eyes, as he pointed his finger at me.

"Don't fucking give me that!" he said angrily, "You left for the bathroom last night, and then…poff… you where gone, as were Edward. Care to tell me what the fuck happened?!"

"I wasn't feeling well, and he gave me a ride home… no biggie," I replied calmly.

"No biggie? You left with Edward fucking Cullen! So don't you dare tell me it was no biggie! The guy is crazy, a fucking lunatic, I wouldn't surprise me if he ended up killing you after having his way with you!" By now Phil's face was red as a tomato, and I feared that he would get a brain aneurysm if he didn't calm down.

"He drove me home! Nothing more!" I argued, feeling frightened by his temper, Phil never got this angry. Hell, he never got angry period. "Why are you so upset about it?"

"Why I'm so upset? Why? You wanna know why? I'll tell you why!" he rambled, and I wondered if he knew why or if he was just stalling. He took a deep breath before continuing. "The guy is crazy. Even Riley admitted to that, and they're friends for fuck sake. The guy is a freak in more ways than one. He's fucking crazy."

He was breathing deeply and I looked at him bewildered. Who was this guy, and what had he done with my brother? Nothing in his behavior or reaction was making any sense. This wasn't my brother. Not even close.

"Philly, c'mon… I've told you before, you have nothing to worry about. I will not hook up with him," I said patiently, and he shook his head violently.

"Damn right you won't, because I won't let you. Trust me, Bella, when I say that if I ever see you even talking to him again I will tell mom and dad about him, and your freaky friends. And don't be surprised if they get you transferred to another school."

I gaped at him.

"You can't be serious!" I protested and he glared back at me.

"You just watch me," he said and pointed his finger at me again, "If I see you talk to him, or even as much as be in the same room as him, then trust me when I say that I will see to it that you never see him or your freaky friends again."

He said it slowly, as if he was talking to a kid, and his eerie calm was freaking me out, before he stormed out of my room. I didn't know what to think. What had Edward ever done to him? Yeah, I get it that he didn't like him, I didn't even like Edward, but I would never react this strongly about it. What the hell was going on?

Phil's outburst left me wide awake, and since it was already after ten I figured I might as well get up. I was dead on my feet, because I had not gotten any sleep at all since I came home, instead I had fallen into some semi-consciousness. Not really awake, but not really sleeping either. Something had always kept me from falling asleep – mostly thoughts about grandma, but also thoughts about Edward, Riley and the white - or gray, I should say – fog.

The gray fog had been a prominent object in my musings, and it bugged me, since I had promised myself I would quit the dream-business, and I wouldn't care about any of it anymore. And that included the fog. But still, was the change in the fog something that was a cause of concern? Should I be worried that it was no longer bright and white, and instead gray and wet? Or maybe it was just a result of the beer – or whatever drug had been dumped into it.

The fog could be green and mossy for all I care…

At least that was what I tried to tell myself, as I picked up the dream-journal from my nightstand, before leaving the bed and walking over to sit on the window-seat. The thick book my grandma had given me obviously didn't hold any answers, but then I remembered she said that the tricks and pointers were to be found in the journal.

But I never even got to the first page, because there was a knock on my already open door. I looked up, expecting to see Phil – and hear him apologize – but instead I locked eyes with my mother.

I opened my mouth to ask her about grandma, but something in her face made the words stuck in my throat, and the air did too. I couldn't breathe.

My mother looked grim, and her eyes were blood shot, it looked like she had cried a lot during the night. And it was as if she had aged ten years over night, for the first time ever she actually looked her aged… and then some.

"Grandma…" she began slowly, her voice cracking, and made her way over to me, and sat down next to me on the window seat.

"Is she… is she…" My voice was shaking, and I couldn't get the last word past my lips.

"She's at the hospital, your father is with her now. I came home to get you and your brother, and bring you there. They say she doesn't have much time left… a few hours at most. She's sleeping, and Dr. Cullen said she had already checked out mentally, it's only her body that is keeping her here now…" she said quietly, and looked at me with tired eyes. She had probably not slept any more than I had during the night.

"What happened?" I whispered, and locked down on the closed journal in my lap.

"Your father and I tried to wake her up last night, to give her something to eat. But she wouldn't wake up. She was breathing, she had a pulse… although a weak one… and she just… didn't wake up."

I felt my eyes water up and mom pulled me into a hug.

"She is an old woman, she has lived a rich life. It's her time to go," mom whispered in my ear, as the first silent tears left my eyes and dropped down on her shirt, "Let's go to the hospital, and say your goodbyes."

I nodded quietly and she squeezed me tighter.

"You'll be okay honey, don't worry," she said, "Everything is going to be alright."

She stroked my hair and rocked me back and forth; as she softly hummed the lullaby she used to sing to me when I was a kid. After a moment she pulled back, and she tried to give me an encouraging smile, but it just felt pained. I didn't even bother to try to smile back, instead I held on to moms hand as we went to get Phil, before going back down to the car and driving to the hospital.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We were all standing around the bed. Grandma was still alive, but her pulse was getting weaker by the minute, and according to Dr. Cullen it was really just a matter of time now.

Mom had her arms around me, and told me over and over again that everything would be okay. Dad and Phil were standing a foot apart, on the other side of the bed, not showing any emotion at all. Both my mom and I were crying silently, with tears flowing down our cheeks, while my brother and dad stood there stone-faced, like nothing could ever get to them.

But I guess that was my family in a nutshell.

Though I don't know why I was so upset. Of course it was sad that grandma was dying, but I didn't really know her anymore. I hadn't had any contact with her at all since we moved, and she had grown old and sick for these past years and she was no longer the grandma we left four years ago.

But maybe, I was so upset because what she took with her when she died. She held the key to all the answers to my questions, and now I had no one to ask. If the answer wasn't in my books, then I would never know. Because the only one out there like was Edward, and he sure as hell wasn't gonna help me out…

A beep from the heart-monitor brought me back from my musings, and mom pulled me closer to her.

It was not long now. Soon grandma would leave this earth. And it scared me.

As soon as she died, there would be nothing holding us here in Forks anymore. And it would be so easy for Phil to give mom a reason to get us moving again. Making us leave everything behind once again. But I didn't want to leave. Because where would I ever find friends as good as Alice and Rose? People like them didn't grow on trees. With or without abilities. And if we moved, who was going to crack me up with stupid jokes like Emmett, and who would I have deep conversations about everything and nothing with, like I had with Jasper? I didn't want to let that go. I didn't want to leave that behind.

And the only thing I needed to do to keep that from happening was to keep myself as far away from Edward as I could. And that was bound to be a little tricky, since he was their friend too. But if I explained the situation to them, maybe they could make Edward understand that it wasn't anything personal, and maybe we could make some sort of lunch-schedule, and each have our own lunch-days with them…

God, it almost sounded like we were a divorced couple, who had to schedule the time we would each have with our "children". At this point I was nothing short of pathetic.

I looked at my grandmother, and her fragile form in the bed. The situation reminded me about Dr. Cullen's dream, and Edward's mother. I couldn't help but feel the irony of the situation. How I had said to Dr. Cullen that his dream reminded me of heaven, and now here I was, waiting for grandma to go there from a hospital room that was almost identical to the one in his dream.

I looked over at my brother, and found he was already looking at me too. He narrowed his eyes at me, and I could tell he was given me a silent message. And I didn't need to be able to read his mind to understand what he wanted to convey.

With grandma gone, there was nothing holding us here anymore, and Phil wouldn't need much fuel to get my mom on his side and soon we would all be leaving again, probably back to Jacksonville.

I looked away from the scrutiny of my brother's gaze, at the same moment as Dr. Cullen came back into the room, and fiddled with something on the heart monitor, before writing something down on the chart. It was with a deep sigh he that he turned to us.

"An hour," he said, "I don't think it will be longer…"

"Thank you so much, Dr. Cullen, for all that you've done," my mom said with an emotional voice.

"Of course, anything for our favorite neighbors," he said with a compassionate smile.

Then he looked over at me, and tilted his head lightly.

"How are you feeling, Isabella?" he asked, "Can I get you anything? Did you get any sleep at all last night?"

I forced a smile and shook my head.

"I'm okay, I'm just tired…" I replied weakly.

"Understandable," he agreed, "But are you sure you don't want anything? I can take you to the cafeteria…"

"You are so considerate," my mom gushed before looking down on me, "And Bella, it would do you good if you got something in you…"

She kissed my hair, and I wanted to argue, but to be honest – I really wanted to get out of there. I couldn't take watching my grandma dying anymore. So I silently stepped away from my mother's embrace, and followed Dr. Cullen out. He turned to smile softly at me, as the door shut behind us and we started down the hallway.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"Okay, I guess," I sighed.

He opened a door instead of pushing the elevator button, when we reached the end of the hallway, and I didn't think much of it as I walked after him into the room. The door shut behind me and I realized we were in an exam room.

"Would you mind sitting down and pull up your sleeve?" he asked and nodded towards the bed.

"Why… why do you want me to do that?" I asked nervously.

He pulled on a pair of plastic gloves before looking at me.

"Edward called me when he left Port Angeles last night, he told me you passed out in the bathroom and that you insisted you only had two beers, and he said he was sure you were drugged," he explained and looked me steadily in the eyes, "and I want to take some blood from you, and run some tests to make sure."

I frowned, and tugged on my sleeves, so my hands disappeared into the sleeves. Why had Edward told him about this? Who was he to tell?

"What does it matter if I was? I'm obviously okay now," I replied lamely.

He pulled a chair closer to the bed before sitting down on it, and looked at me sternly.

"Edward asked me to do this," he said softly, "He's worried that whatever drug you got into your system could compromise your ability and make you more vulnerable."

"Why would he care?" I snorted.

Dr. Cullen smiled at me and tilted his head again, as if he was amused by my question, but I couldn't see anything amusing with any of this. I didn't understand why Edward had asked Dr. Cullen to do this, was it so he would know which drug would make me vulnerable so he could use that to his advantage? I wouldn't be surprised if Edward was just as power-hungry as those Dreamhunters… for all I knew, maybe Edward was a Dreamhunter. It would make sense, since he insisted on making out Riley to be the bad guy… probably just so he could get the suspicions off himself…

"Edward is very good at acting like he doesn't care, especially about the things he cares about the most. I know my son, and I know that what happened to Angela last spring really got to him. And he doesn't trust people easily. You have only lived here for two weeks, and you already managed to get under his skin. He trusts you. He might not act like it, and he might not act like he even likes you at all, but trust me when I say that he trusts you. And that you matter to him."

I shook my head softly.

"I can't matter to him… I'm nothing to him… I asked him to help me learn to control my ability. I want to be able to visit my Sanctuary more often, and not only when I'm exhausted… and he refused to help me learn to do that, so excuse me for not believing you when you say that he cares and that I matter, because I don't," I said quietly and looked down on my hands.

"Isabella, have he told you about his Sanctuary?" he asked, and I slowly shook my head in response, and he chuckled, "Of course he didn't, because then you would understand why he would be reluctant to help you out."

"And what does his Sanctuary have to do with anything?" I asked frustrated.

He sighed deeply and just gazed at me for a moment, before answering.

"It's not my place to tell," he replied finally, with a sigh, "But I can tell you this much, by helping you he would have to bare himself to you… and I don't think my son is quite ready for that yet."

I frowned and grabbed my sleeve, and pulled it up roughly.

"Take my blood, do the tests, and tell Edward the results. I couldn't care less about what happened last night. But for some reason Edward does, so who am I to rob him from the satisfaction of knowing what happened," I said, and Dr. Cullen smiled at me.

If Edward wanted to find out what drug got into my drink, and if that effected my ability, then who was I to deny him that pleasure? I was done with the dream business anyway, so what harm could it do, I obviously would get out of this sooner if I cooperated, and Dr. Cullen had a weird way about him, that made me trust whatever he was saying even though I didn't believe him. And I honestly didn't care one way or the other anyway.

"You are misjudging my son, Isabella, he's not a bad person. He's just afraid, and I assume you of all people could relate to what he's feeling," he said as he prepared my arm for the drawing of my blood.

"It's not my fault if I puke on you," I warned him, as I watched him prepare the syringe, "I hate blood."

He chuckled and pointed the syringe to my skin.

"Between the two of us," he said, his eyes sparkling as he looked at me, "I do too."

And then he stuck me.


	16. The Deal

**A/N:** This chapter was a pain to write. I wanted to throw the laptop out the window at one point. It's far from the best I've written, and no matter how much I tried to work it over, I just couldn't make it work.

So I stopped trying, and let it be as it was. Some things needed to be said, and now they have. Period.

Things will pick up, along with some serious angsty drama, in the next chapter. My fingers are already itching to write it all down, so I doubt you guys will have to wait long for the next chapter.

By the way – I have uploaded the first chapter of another story I've been working on, called _"__**Hit By Destiny**_", a very angsty story, with dark themes. And its been rated M for a reason.

But don't worry, I won't abandon this story. I will keep updating two-three times a week, just like I have up until now. :-)

Please read and review, and hopefully you don't think this chapter sucks too much (even though I know it does :-P).

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 15 – "The Deal"**

"_**Anger is just one letter short of danger."**__**  
**_ ~ unknown

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It was like I never even left the room. Mom, dad and Phil were still standing exactly where they were when I left with Dr. Cullen. The only difference made in the past twenty minutes was that the beeping, of the heart-monitor, wasn't as frequent as before.

"It's not long now," my dad said quietly, his voice strained and hoarse, like he hadn't spoken in ages.

I walked up to my mother, who put her arms around me, and I rested my head against her shoulder.

"I'm gonna miss her…" I said quietly, thinking how the only relative I had – who knew about my secret – was going to die, and I would be back to being alone. I would miss her, but not only because she was like me, but also because she was simply my grandmother. The person who used to make the best oatmeal cookies and tell me silly bedtime stories when I was a kid.

No one said anything, and I guess there just wasn't anything to be said.

My dad was right though. It wasn't long.

Ten minutes later, the heart monitor beeped once before the line went flat and it made a low alarming sound. A silent tear fell down my cheek.

My eyes were on my grandmother. I couldn't believe that her lungs were no longer breathing, that her heart was no longer beating and her mind no longer thinking. And her eyes would never see anything again.

The body in the standard issue hospital bed was no longer my old grams. The body in that bed was just that; a body. A shell. Not a person.

I couldn't believe how I wasted my last two weeks here. I only had one real conversation with her, and she only ate dinner with us once. The rest of the time she had been locked up in her room, and I was forbidden from seeing her because she was sick and she needed her rest.

And now, she was gone.

I really should have argued with my parents, made them see reason. We all knew she was going to die, so what difference would it have made if I had visited her in her room? It's not like my presence alone would have killed her sooner.

"She's gone," my dad whimpered.

All our eyes shot to him, as he suddenly broke down in tears. He sobbed violently as he fell down on his knees on the cold floor. He hid his face in his hands as his body convulsed in violent sobs. My mom was quickly by his side, hugging him to her and letting him cry.

My brother and I just stared at the scene. We didn't know what to do.

We had never seen our father cry – let alone break down completely. He never showed any emotions, he rarely even got angry (that was our moms department). This was unsettling.

"Phil, please take your father home, and I'll take care of the paperwork with the hospital," my mom said quietly, and Phil nodded.

Together they helped dad up on his feet, and dad didn't protest as Phil walked with him out of the room.

My mom, who was still crouching on the floor, looked up at me, fresh tears were falling down her cheeks.

"It's been a long day," she said quietly.

She had no idea.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mom and I left the hospital later that afternoon, when we got home Phil told us that dad went to bed, that he didn't want to be disturbed. Mom obviously knew this didn't apply to her, so she went up and joined him.

I was about to walk up the stairs, to my room and take a nap, when Phil stopped me. He grabbed my wrist gently and I turned to him, wondering if I was about to witness another one of his uncharacteristically outbursts.

"You okay there, little sis?" he asked gently, and I relaxed at his soft tone.

"I've been better," I replied honestly.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier," he continued.

"It's okay… well, no. It's not okay… but I understand, you were just overreacting, it's no big deal," I shrugged, and turned towards the stairs again, but he tugged at me again. I sighed and looked at him.

"I said I was sorry I yelled at you, but I'm not apologizing for what I said," he clarified, "I meant every single word I said, and I hope you understand that I'm not messing around here. I will fucking tell mom, and I bet we will move away faster than you can say _Cullen,_ when she finds out what kind of freaks you are hanging out with."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"So what do I have to do for you to keep your mouth shut? Do I only need to stay away from Edward, or am I supposed to break up my friendship with Alice and Rose too?" I asked sarcastically.

He smirked in an evil way, and he never looked less like my brother than at that moment.

"Since ms. Murderer and ms. Skankybitch is both friends with Cullen, I doubt it's even possible for you to continue a friendship with them, seeing as you're bound to bump into him then," he replied smugly, and let go of my wrist so he could cross his arms over his chest and look even less like the brother I knew and loved. Who was this guy?

"I'm happy here, Phil. Alice and Rose are easily the best friends I've ever had, and I've only known them for two weeks! I don't know why you hate Edward, yeah, he's a freak and whatever, but you only hate him because of what other people told you about him. Edward has done nothing to you, and honestly, he doesn't deserve your hatred," I said, and when I noticed he was beginning to look at me suspiciously, I quickly added, "I don't like him, but that's because that he's been a jerk towards me. An arrogant fucking jerk. And I have every reason to dislike him. But you don't."

I could have sworn I saw a flash of guilt flicker past his eyes, and he looked lost and confused for a moment, before collecting himself and glaring at me.

"I don't care lil sis. He's a fucking lunatic, and you're keeping away from him. That's the deal. Got it?" he said and I nodded.

"Got it."

And with that, I turned and walked quickly up the stairs.

My brother had gone insane. There was no other explanation, I thought to myself as I slammed my bedroom door shut behind me and threw myself on my bed. I buried my face in my pillow and groaned loudly, letting the pillow muffle the sound.

This past weekend had been a disaster from beginning to end. And all I wanted to do know was cry, scream or throw things around, or maybe kick my brother's ass. How was I supposed to avoid Edward? We were bound to bump into each other sooner or later, no matter if I kept being friends with Alice and Rose or not. Forks was only so big, and it was impossible not to run into him at school.

What if I bumped into him on accident, and Phil saw?

Like I didn't have enough to worry about.

I closed my eyes and tried to relax, while trying to figure out how I could win in this situation. But I fell asleep before I managed to do anything…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was that the fog was still dark and gray, and I felt wet. Whatever happened to the fog seemed to be permanent, at least for the time being. But I didn't find it in me to care. At least I was there.

I turned around in the fog, looking for the familiar shadow. But I couldn't see him.

"_Hello_?" I called out, and my voice echoing back to me was the only response I got.

I guess he wasn't sleeping, he was probably out living his awesome life.

I noticed that the fog was moving and swirling slowly around me, that was new, the old fog never moved. If I squinted my eyes, I could almost see forms and contours of things behind the fog.

For the first time I looked down on the ground, and it was not white and bright like it used to be – it was green with grass, with small little purple flowers decorating the ground. I picked up a flower in amazement, it looked nothing like anything I've seen before. It was beautiful, with its deep rich color and fragile little petals.

I turned my gaze up again, and searched through the fog with my eyes.

Yes, there were definitely forms and contours of something behind or within the fog.

I tried to walk towards anything, but I was glued to my place, with my feet unable to move forward. I could lift my legs – but I couldn't move them forward. It was a very awkward and unsettling feeling.

I quit trying to move around, and sat down on the grass instead. _The new fog might be unsettling, but at least I got pretty flowers, _I thought to myself as I picked up another purple flower.

It didn't matter how the fog looked though, since I could already feel the energy come back to me. Quicker than before, and I felt better than I've done in a long time.

Maybe this was my fog 2 point 0. It was time for an upgrade.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I woke up by someone stroking my cheek. I blinked a few times, and I was surprised by the face looking back at me. The green-blue eyes were sparkling, and he was smiling softly at me.

"You're not the easiest person to wake," Riley said with a sad smile.

I smiled weakly, and sat up.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, before yawning.

"Phil called me, he told me about your grandmother… I'm so sorry," he said, and sat down beside me and put an arm gently around my waist and pulled me towards him.

"Thanks," I muttered, as I released myself from his grip and stood up.

I walked over to the window and he followed me.

"Your room looks the same… sort of," he commented.

I glanced at him, not really knowing what I was supposed to respond that. So I just shrugged and smiled crookedly. For some reason he found my lack of response funny, because he chuckled lightly as he put his arms around me from the side and pulled me to him, my shoulder pressing against his chest.

"Ah, Bella, Bella, Bella…" he said softly, and traced my jaw line with his finger. I didn't register the touch, instead all I could think was that my name didn't sound even remotely as good as it did when Edward said it, "You are so beautiful."

His gaze was intense, and I was unable to look away or do anything but to gaze back at him.

He gripped my chin and pulled my face closer to him.

"So beautiful," he mumbled, as his face came closer to mine.

His lips touched mine, and I felt my knees buckle. The softness and the intensity were making me dizzy, and when he pressed his lips harder against mine, I found myself kissing him back. He sucked softly on my bottom lip, and I swear I whimpered at the sensation, he chuckled darkly as he slowly licked my bottom lip, in a silent plea to get in. And I just couldn't resist. So I open my mouth slowly, and his tongue touched mine. They slowly began mingling together, and I no longer felt dizzy and mesmerized. Instead I felt slightly disgusted.

He tasted like smoke and… I don't know what the other part was, but it tasted disgusting. And I guess he hadn't kicked his habit of smoking, but that shouldn't surprise me, because he had been smoking since he was twelve.

By now, my arms were frozen by my side, I was unable to move, and he was still holding on to my chin with one of his hands and the other was around my waist, pulling me impossibly closer to him.

When the kiss was over, I felt lightheaded. But not in a good way. And the way he was smirking at me made me feel nauseous.

"Where did you disappear to last night?" he asked, and touched his forehead against mine.

"I didn't feel good, so Edward drove me home," I replied vaguely.

He frowned and sighed.

"Bella, I hate to be the boyfriend who forbids his girlfriend from doing things or from seeing certain people, but please, stay away from that guy. He's insane," he pleaded, his voice laced with nothing but concern, but I scarcely noticed; instead I was hung up on one simple word.

"Boyfriend?" I croaked, and he chuckled.

"I thought we established that last night… I would love to be your boyfriend, if you let me," he said and kissed me chastely.

It's weird how things turn out. For years I had been dreaming about landing a guy like Riley. And when I finally did, all I could do was to try to come up with excuses not to follow through.

"I… I don't know," I said finally.

"I really like you, Bella, and I know you feel the same way, so why beat around the bush when we both know we're gonna end up together. We're alike you and I, we're the same. We could create greatness together," he said in an enticing tone and I gazed at him.

He pressed me down on the window seat and leaned down over me. He kissed me deeply and I was glad I was sitting. It didn't matter that my feelings for Riley was clouded, my body just couldn't help react to his kisses. Even though he tasted disgusting, and that I imagined another face on his body, I still felt my knees grow week.

"I should go back to Philly-boy, he wanted to talk," he said quietly and kissed me chastely on the lips again before pulling back, "But I'll see you later."

He wiggled his eyebrows at me suggestively before leaving the room. I touched my lips with my fingers, and leaned back against the window. I pulled my legs up and leaned my chin against my knees.

Riley was an amazing kisser, I'll give him that, with or without leaving a disgusting aftertaste. But no matter how amazing he was, I still found myself imagining kissing someone else.

Someone I should _never_ dream of kissing. Someone who would never dream of kissing _me_.

Someone with the most beautiful eyes in the world.

Someone who just happened to live across the street.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

To say I didn't feel like going to school the next morning was an understatement. I had slept restlessly all night, and each time I managed to get some sleep I was caught up by my mother's dreams. They were blurry, and not making any sense, and when I woke up it felt like I hadn't slept at all. I was so exhausted I even considered feigning illness so I didn't have to go to school. But I knew I had to go, besides, I wanted to talk to Alice.

I didn't speak to Phil at all during the drive to school, and he didn't say anything to me either. He just kept throwing these meaningful glances my way, silently reminding me about our "deal".

I really didn't like the guy Phil had become, and I honestly didn't understand why it mattered so much to him who I hung out with. What difference would it make if I actually ended up with Edward, and if Edward broke my heart it would be my problem, not Phil's.

I was surprising myself by the thoughts I had about Edward. I found myself mentally defending him on more than one occasion, and the fact that I imagine kissing him when I was kissing Riley was freaking me out.

What had changed? Maybe it was just me, wanting to revolt because of Phil and his ridiculous need to rule my life, and telling me what to do. And the worst thing I could ever do, according to Phil, was to hook up with Edward. No matter how big of a jerk he was.

We parked the car, and I quickly left it before Phil could manage to stop me to lecture me about our "deal" again, and I quickly stalked up to the entrance and into the school. Luckily, Phil didn't follow me.

I reached my locker, and I began working the combination lock, when someone cleared its throat. I turned to look to my side, and I couldn't have hidden my surprise even if I wanted too. Lauren was leaning against the locker next to mine, but it wasn't the fact that it was _Lauren_ who wanted my attention, I was more surprised by the way she looked.

Lauren was back to her old self – and then some. Her blonde hair was as shiny and wavy as ever, and her make-up was flawless, and I was sure she was no longer wearing designer knock-offs, because those jeans looked really expensive, even to me, who didn't know the first thing about designer jeans.

"I heard about your grandmother, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice soft and full of concern.

I smiled uncomfortably.

"Eh… thanks?" I said slowly.

"If you ever want to talk, I'm here for you. You know that right?" she asked, pouting her full lips and I quickly looked around, to see if anyone else was seeing this. Was she messing with me? Was this some kind of sick practical joke?

She didn't give me a chance to answer though, because she pulled me into a tight hug, squeezing me so tightly I had a hard time breathing.

"See you in class, okay, Bella?" she said, before letting me go and leaving me.

I gaped at her, as she walked down the hallway. I shook my head as I turned back to my locker. She was messing with me. She must be. No way in hell that Lauren would be that nice to me.

And what the hell was this? Bizarro world? Last week Lauren had been looking like she was on the verge of dying, and they even took her out of school. There was no way she could manage to jump back so quickly after that, and turn out looking better than she did before. If she had been hunted, how come she didn't end up dead?

I really needed to talk to Alice… _Damn it._

I bit my lip and closed the locker door with my foot. I quit the dream-business. I wasn't going to get involved in any of it anymore. I promised myself to be normal. And how was I supposed to be normal if I got involved with this?

I was so lost in thought that I didn't even see the tiny little pixie girl in front of me, and I almost walked right by her.

"Wow, ignoring me much?" Alice snapped.

I turned around and looked at her startled.

"Oh, sorry Alice, I didn't see you there," I apologized.

"I'm not that small," she replied sourly.

"I know, I'm sorry… I was just lost in thought," I said, "Forgive me?"

I pouted and she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, Bella," she sighed, "I just wanna know what the hell is going on with you, first you ditch us to hang out with some random idiots in Port Angeles, and now you're best friends with Lauren?"

She looked at me exasperatedly, and I sighed deeply.

"I'm not best friends with Lauren, I don't even know what the hell that was about," I replied honestly, "Did you see how she looked? What happened with dead-on-her-feet-Lauren?"

I tried to chuckle at my own joke, but the sound stuck in my throat and whatever sound made it out just sounded hysterical. I was seriously loosing it. The lack of sleep and the mess that was my weekend was really getting to me.

"Geez, Bella, you alright?" she asked, frowning in concern.

"I don't know," I sighed, "Everything is so messed up…"

She looked around and grabbed my hand, and quickly dragged me down the hallway.

"We're skipping class," she told me, and I didn't argue as she led me out and towards the back of the gym. Nobody ever went there, and it was closed off from the rest of the school. It was the perfect hideout when you wanted to skip class.

When we were out of sight from the rest of the school, she turned to me and put her hands on her hips.

"Okay, now you're gonna tell me what the hell is going on," she demanded.

I sighed as I plopped down on the damp grass, not caring that it was ruining my jeans.

"I have no idea, Alice," I replied, "Your guess is as good as mine."

"No, my guess is not as good as yours. My guess is better," she replied sternly, "Now tell me what the fuck went down on Saturday night?"

I frowned, I didn't like when she snapped at me like this.

"I went to a party, I had a couple of beers, apparently I was drugged, and Edward took me home, end of fucking story," I replied angrily.

"You should be glad I called him, and told him where you were going, or else you would probably have ended up dead, or worse."

"And what could have been worse?"

She glared at me.

"Riley could have turned you."

I flinched at her words, and she sighed as she took of her jacket and put it on the grass, before sitting down next to me.

"I didn't know he was a Dreamcatcher. Neither did anyone else. The only one who knew was Edward, and he kept that from us up until Saturday…" she explained, her voice no longer angry.

I tried to keep my face blank of any emotion, as my mind registered her words. So I guess I was right, that Riley was something more than just a simple human. He was like me, and he most likely knew all about me already… it only made sense, since he kept on saying we belonged together. We were made for each other. We were the same. I wondered of Alice could be so sure though, since I hadn't even been sure before… I had just suspected that something was off.

"Edward hooked up with Tanya last spring, shortly after the incident with Angela, and we all thought he was just using a random skank to get over what happened," she continued, after a moment, confusing me with the change of direction of the conversation, "But it turns out he wasn't… We have all met Tanya, and we thought nothing of her, except that she seemed a little… _slutty_… and Rose didn't think much of her either, turns out there was a reason for that…"

I looked over at her, and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Tanya is a senser, just like Rose. That's why Rose never felt anything off about her. And that's why Edward could get away with hanging out with Tanya, without us interfering, since we didn't know what was going on…"

I sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry, Alice, but I promised myself that I was gonna quit this. I'm not gonna get involved in anything concerning dreams anymore. I just don't have it in me, and I can't even control my ability anyway, so I can't help you. And I don't want to get involved."

She looked at me for a moment before shaking her head.

"Tanya is dangerous. We don't know how dangerous, but she is, as is Riley. I'm sure you already know that he's not simply a catcher, but mainly a hunter…" she trailed of and frowned, "And that's why I'm disappointed."

"Why so?" I asked.

"Because you told us about Lauren's dream, how she was influenced and how you interacted with another catcher, but you said you didn't recognize him. And we all know now, that it was Riley. Why didn't you tell us? Why did you keep going to him? Do you want to be evil or something?" she asked with a sad voice.

I looked away, I couldn't stand the disappointment in her eyes.

"Because I needed him to be good… I needed to believe he was good… that you were wrong and that it was all some big misunderstanding…" I whispered.

"And the fact that Lauren turned up like a corpse wasn't a cause of concern for you? Were you in denial, or did you really think she was just sick?" Alice asked.

"I don't know…" I sighed, as my breathing became more and more shallow, "She's okay now, right? So what damage could he have done?"

She looked at me incredulously.

"Sometimes I forget how little you know," she said as she shook her head, "Lauren is within their power now. They control every little part of her. She's their robot. And they're trying to make her befriend you, probably so they could get to you… and make you one of them. Make you just as power hungry as they are."

"So what if I hang out with Riley!" I snapped, "Edward hangs out with Tanya, so what's the difference?"

I was practically hyperventilating. I was so angry and frustrated and tired. I couldn't take more of this shit anymore. All around people were telling me what to do, as if I wasn't my own person anymore. I was their property. I was no more human than Lauren was. I was a robot that other people tried to control.

"This weekend has been a disaster," I said quietly, feeling the overwhelming sensation of exhaustion wash over me, "I get drugged at a party… I wake up in Edwards bed… Phil threatens to make us move… my grandma died… and people are trying to control everything I do… I can't take this anymore…" I whispered.

I didn't realize I was crying until I was sobbing so hard I couldn't get any words out. Alice quickly put her arms around me and pulled me to her. The hug was surprisingly firm and strong to come from someone so tiny. I sobbed into her shoulder and she stroked my hair.

"I'm sorry, Bella, we don't mean to control you. We just want you to be safe, and you won't be safe as long as you hang out with Riley… it's never safe to be power-hungry, and you will only end up hurting the people you love," she said quietly, "and I'm sorry about your grandmother, I didn't know…"

She rocked me back and forth, and it reminded me of how my mom had tried to console me just a day before.

"Your brother is in trouble… that's one of the reasons we wanted to talk to you," she said quietly and let go of me. I leaned back and looked at her.

"Don't tell me – he's a Dreamhunter too?" I said sarcastically, but the edge of my voice was lost by the sob that followed. She smiled sadly at me and shook her head.

"Rose has sensed energy in him, and it's not yours. And when I touched him on Friday I was sure it wasn't you because I wanted to see what he had been dreaming… and it was like someone wiped him, because all I could see was darkness, and Emmett tried to track him during the weekend, but he came up short too, and he only got glimpses… And we know he's been altered," She sighed deeply, "And his daydreams doesn't make any sense to Jasper either."

I looked at her tiredly.

"Riley?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Yeah… one of the glimpses Emmett saw on the night between Saturday and Sunday was of Riley. He was talking to Phil and he was furious. Emmett didn't manage to make out what was said, but we doubt it was any good," she replied, "I'm so sorry."

"I have a question…" I said slowly, and looked at her, "Can one influence someone to hate someone else so much, that it consumes him?"

"I assume you're not asking rhetorically," she stated, and I shook my head.

"Can Riley influence Phil to hate Edward, and make him totally consumed by it?" I clarified.

Alice nodded.

"Yes, he can… and I can see why he would want to try to do so… because if you partnered up with Edward, then you could knock Riley out without a sweat," Alice replied.

"But Edward doesn't want to help me. He wants nothing to do with me," I argued.

Alice sighed dramatically.

"I don't think that's true. He's just being stubborn. He doesn't want to get us involved. He wants to bring them down on his own. And he's too stubborn to realize that he can't do it without us… and maybe he finally realized that, since he finally told us about Riley and Tanya."

I looked over at Alice.

"I can't be seen with Edward. If Phil sees us together, he will snap and probably kill Edward before going to mom and having us move back to Jacksonville or Phoenix or maybe even Italy," I said.

"Phil is the least of our problems," she replied softly.

I smiled sadly at her.

"You're not going to let me quit this, are you?" I asked with a tired sigh.

She laughed her bell-chime laugh and shook her head gently.

"No, Bella, I'm not. Because you can't quit who you are."


	17. Soulmates

**A/N:** I don't know what I should say. I'm still feeling giddy after finishing this chapter. I really liked how it turned out, I hope you do too.

I got a question about the "dark themes" I mentioned in an earlier A/N, and I decided to put that storyline/event on hold, since I realized I had quite a few younger readers, and it wasn't crucial for the plot anyway for it to happen… so, for the time being this story will continue being rated T, and nothing "bad" will happen... _yet_.

I'm sorry if I'm bad at replying to reviews – but I do appreciate every single one of them!

It "only" took 15 chapters and a preface for this to finally happen… enjoy.

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 16 – "Soulmates "**

"_**You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."**__**  
**_ ~ Dr. Seuss

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Alice and I left our hide-out together, she was hugging my arm and I felt a little comforted by it. We spent over an hour discussing everything, and everything was now out in the open. We decided I was going to keep a low profile for a while, since we couldn't afford to get Phil on our wrong side right now, especially not now with my grandma gone, and my mom just needing an excuse to get us up and moving again. Alice promised she would tell the others about the situation, and we would "meet up" on IM later that evening.

We didn't leave our hideout until lunch, and she gave me a quick hug before we parted ways.

"It will be okay, Bella, we won't let them hurt Phil," she said in my ear, before letting me go.

I smiled weakly at her, and walked off towards my locker and she started towards the cafeteria. And I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I found Lauren stand by my locker, smiling so widely at me I thought her face just might break in half. What the hell had they done to her?

"Hey Bella, are you joining us to lunch?" she asked cheerily, not an ounce of fakeness in her voice.

"Yeah, sure," I replied with a sigh.

I barely managed to get my wallet out from my locker, before she grabbed my arm and dragged me down the hallway.

"We should totally go shopping," she said, with a faraway gaze, "Maybe Port Angeles… I have friends in Port Angeles… you should meet them."

I didn't respond to that, instead I just smiled and pretended like it was totally normal for us to be walking together. I wondered if I should join her though, to Port Angeles I mean. Maybe it would be good if I put up a pretense on wanting to join them? Because there wasn't any better way to break down an organization than from the inside… geez, this was beginning to sound ridiculous.

"Bella!"

I looked up and locked eyes with Edward, who was standing a few feet in front of us. He looked absolutely livid.

"Can I talk to you a minute?" he asked his eyes wide and I could tell he wouldn't take no for an answer. Lauren snorted and hugged my arm closer to her.

"Sorry freak," she spat, "She's not interested."

I turned my eyes towards the cafeteria, and saw Phil standing in line, watching us. I guess this was as good time as any to prove to him that Edward meant nothing to me.

"Bella… c'mon!" Edward said and took a step forward.

I pretended to flinch, and I gave him the most disgusted look I could manage.

"Excuse me Edward, but I'm not interested in talking to you like… ever, and if you so much as look at me from now on I will fucking get you expelled. Okay? Leave me the fuck alone! You freak!"

He gaped at me and I narrowed my eyes at him, just to show I wasn't kidding around.

"What the hell is going on?" he hissed, and frowned. The wrinkle between his eyebrows were begging me to remove it.

"What is going on is that you're creeping me out, okay? You disgust me. So leave me alone!" I replied, and made a show by dragging Lauren away. When we reached the line it took all of my willpower not to look back at him.

"What did Cullen want?" Phil asked, his voice even but his eyes piercing and venomous as he looked at me.

"Hell do I know, I told him to get lost," I replied with a shrug.

"He's such a creep," Lauren agreed, "I swear he wants to like… kidnap you or something, and eat you for lunch. The guy is crazy."

"Glad to see we agree on something," Phil said to her and smiled. She giggled and blushed. Phil seemed to be a little flushed as well. I hoped whatever Lauren was feeling wasn't because of whatever "spell" she was under, and that she really liked Phil, as I knew he really liked her.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I sat with Phil, Lauren and their friends by the "cool" table at lunch. And I tried my best not to glance at my table even once. I could feel them looking at me, and most of all; I could feel Edward look at me. It was like I was attuned to his every move, I didn't even need to look anywhere to sense where he was. I could feel him as he left the lunch-line and walked over to this table. I don't know what it was, but it was starting to creep me out… why were I so aware of him all of a sudden? And why did I have such a strange feeling of wanting to run over to him and kiss him all over and just be close to him for the rest of time?

Nothing about him should matter to me. It didn't matter if he was "pretending" to not like me, it still didn't take back the fact that he had been an ass to me for the past two weeks… and one little heroic act on Saturday night wasn't going to change that.

I rode home with Phil after school, and he seemed to be a little happier with me than he had been since the party. Maybe he was relaxing a bite since I didn't hang out with anyone else but his friends during the whole day. I even sat with Lauren in the classes I had with her. I had a feeling that it would be good if I kept myself close to her, I was the only one who could save her from whatever was happening to her. And though I disliked her, I still couldn't let her get hurt just because I was too proud to help her.

We didn't have any homework – not that I was aware of anyway, since I skipped two of my classes – and decided I was gonna study up on my dream books instead. Since I obviously couldn't quit what I was, then I should at least study up and be the best I could, even though I would never be as good as Edward…

I walked over to my bedside table to retrieve the books, and frowned when I saw that only the thick textbook was there, the journal was gone. I picked up the book, and put it on the bed, and dug around in the drawer, maybe it was hidden underneath all the other junk I had in there?

But I had to give up, when I found nothing but a lost necklace and a twenty dollar-bill.

I grabbed the thick book from the bed and walked over to the windowseat, while I tried to remember when I had the journal last. Didn't I look at it yesterday?

Yes. Yes I did.

I remember I was about to read it when mom came in, and told me about grandma. I quickly stood up from the seat and began frantically searching the area. I looked under the cushions, on the floor, under the desk and under my bed and everywhere. But it was nowhere to be found. Where did it go? I doubt it had grown legs and walked off by itself, and no one had been in my room… not as far as I knew anyway.

I groaned and sat down on the window seat with a thud. Why couldn't I keep track of my stuff? Damn it.

_Oh well_, I thought_, at least I can study up on all the fa_cts. Whatever they were.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I found myself totally engrossed in the thick dream book, after finally giving it a chance and began reading from the first page. I was so lost into the world of dreams that I first didn't hear my mother, when she called us down to dinner.

Dad didn't join us, and neither Phil nor I asked why. He was grieving in his own way, and since he wasn't an emotional man, he needed to be alone while he did just that.

While I picked at my dinner, I let my mind go over everything I've read about dreams and how to catch them, and what the consequences were if you decided to intervene, and trust me when I say, that it wasn't pretty.

All you needed to do was to screw up one single dream, and the person could be altered and traumatized for a long time to come. The book stated that you needed to be careful, and use your intuition, before you intervened even a little bit. And if you intervened with the wrong intention, then the person would be harmed, and sometimes beyond repair.

The book also brought up the issue with "power". How power was gained, and how it affected the person you draw it from. The book was written in a very objective form, and it encouraged neither the good nor evil side. It just stated all the facts as they were, and didn't frown upon anything. And I didn't know whether or not that was a good thing, because in some ways they made the whole power-thing sound pretty… enticing.

Though I would never act upon it, I could still see why Riley and his "people" had decided to go that route. To become what my group called evil.

They didn't care about the people they hurt, because they were just doing it for themselves. And the book clearly stated that you had a choice in the matter. You didn't need to do good things with the gift I was given. I was free to use it however I wanted. But that I should still be aware of every consequence that my actions would bring. And the book was there simply to give me answers to any question I had, it wasn't there to judge me.

It was all pretty daunting.

After dinner, I kept reading from where I left up. And it was about hypnosis.

"_A person who has been drained of power can end up in two ways. Either she will become an empty shell, whose only drive and motivation in life is to do whatever the Catcher wants her to, or she will simply die. If she becomes a shell, then she will no longer be herself and her previous personality and traits will be lost. The choice between shell and death lays within the Catcher. It's his choice to make, whether he wants the dreamer to die or to live."_

I didn't know whether or not I should thank Riley for being human enough to let her live. But what life was it, if the things that made her Lauren were lost?

I turned the page and kept on reading. My eyes lit up when a single phrase caught my eyes.

"_The shell-state can be reversed."_

That was the best thing I've read so far. Maybe this meant we could save Lauren from her state.

I read on eagerly, and as I did, the lightness I've felt slowly faded, until I was slumping in my seat and frowning. _Of course it wasn't that easy_.

"_The state of a shell can be reversed, if the Catcher who drew the power is killed. The Catcher needs to be killed in a dream, belonging to the Shell. However, a Shell cannot dream if the Catcher don't want her too, therefore it can be next to impossible to reverse the effect."_

Not only did I have to catch a dream of someone who no longer could dream, but I had to kill him too? Kill. As in murder. I had to murder Riley, in order to save Lauren.

It didn't matter if he was hurting Lauren with what he was doing. He was still a human being, just like me, just like Lauren. And killing him made me even worse than him. And I couldn't do it. I just couldn't take another person's life.

But maybe there was another way? Maybe this book just stated what a Catcher could do to save her, maybe the others could reverse the effect in another way? Maybe Emmett could do something with his tracking-thingy?

I flipped a few pages, and landed once again on the chapter about sanctuaries. Maybe I should give it another go, and read all of it, and not just the paragraph that stated that I was screwed, and I shouldn't even bother to try to conquer that aspect of my ability…

I read four pages and I was about to call it quits. It only brought up everything I already knew, and just a few things I didn't. It explained further about the aspect of changing your Sanctuary.

Those paragraphs did hold my attention, since my Sanctuary had begun to change, and I wanted to know why, whether it was because something was wrong with me or if it was because it was something good…

"_The scenery of a Sanctuary will change when the Catcher is moving into a new chapter of her life. The change is nothing the Catcher can affect in anyway, and the change is always to her benefit. Most Catchers have a Sanctuary of white fog or black smoke. When the Catcher is ready to embrace her destiny, and come into her full potential, the fog or smoke will fade, and be replaced with the scenery that will be most beneficial for the Catcher."_

I guess Alice was wrong, when she said I could change the scenery if I got "tired of it", or that I felt I didn't get the boost I needed… or whatever she said. I guess the person who wrote her book wasn't all educated in the world of Catching.

And apparently my subconscious was little further along than I was, since the change had begun during the night after the party. The night after I had decided I was going to quit it all. Maybe it was my subconscious way to tell me that I couldn't run away from what I was – just everybody else had been saying to me. I wondered how long it would take for the grey fog to disappear, and what was I going to see then? I already saw grass and beautiful purple flowers, and I could see forms of something behind the fog. Trees maybe? Was my real Sanctuary in a forest?

I never really liked the woods. So it would be odd if it was.

I turned the page, and kept on reading. The words didn't really register to me, until I've read the entire page. My eyes widened, as I quickly re-read the paragraph and my lips where twitching into a smile.

"… _when the Catcher no longer is alone in her Sanctuary, means she has found her other half. A Catcher is always alone in her Sanctuary, until she comes within close range of her other half, and then their Sanctuaries will cross and they will be able to interact together. When a Catcher finds her other half, she will be more powerful than ever, and she will forever be subconsciously connected to her other half. The way the two Catcher's meet in the Sanctuary varies, sometimes they will only be able to hear each other's voices until they're subconsciously ready to face their fate, and sometimes they will hear and see each other instantly, because that means they were destined to meet at that time, at that place. It's not unusual for one of the Catchers to be further along in the process than the other, and though one of the Catchers can only hear the other half, the other half can both see and hear…"_

I slowly shook my head, unable to believe what I was reading. My face almost hurt by the way I was smiling. Anthony. Anthony was my other half. My soulmate.

But according to the book, the only reason we were sharing Sanctuaries now was because we had come within close range of each other, did that mean he was here in Forks? And how exactly did they count "close range"? Five miles? Ten miles? Two hundred miles?

Had I met Anthony? Without me knowing it was him?

I smiled sadly when I remembered what my grandma said, that she never had company in her Sanctuary, I assume she realized why I was asking, and it saddened me that she never got the opportunity to find her other half.

Anthony.

I wondered if he knew about the whole thing? Maybe that was why he was so upset, he didn't want to find his other half, because he already had a girlfriend… didn't he? He told me he did.

I frowned and my smile faded.

Just because fate wanted us together didn't mean we should be together. What if he didn't even like me? I wasn't pretty like other girls, so what could I possible offer him that other, more beautiful, girls couldn't?

_I could offer understanding_, I thought to myself. Nobody would ever understand him the way I could. I would relate to everything he was going through. Nobody else could do that.

I had always dreamt about meeting "the one", and I loved soppy love stories where people found their soul mates, so I was thrilled that that aspect apparently was in effect in my world.

Even though I had no idea how Anthony looked, I doubted it would matter. If fate wanted me to be with him, so be it. He could be a three hundred pound fat guy, and I would still love him.

I had never been superficial, I didn't judge people from the way they looked. So I didn't care.

But I was probably getting myself carried away by thinking about it. The book could be wrong, or maybe Anthony could be all wrong. He didn't seem to be such a people-person, and he probably wouldn't agree with me that this was "great news"…

I closed the book and put it aside. I pulled up my legs and rested my chin on my knees, as I looked out the window.

It was raining again. The rain falling down my window, making the view disfigured, almost like in a dream.

The shiny silver Volvo, that I had grown accustomed to seeing, drove past and parked beside the curb.

Edward climbed out of the car, along with Jasper and Emmett. They slammed their doors behind them, and quickly started up towards Edward's house. They disappeared into the front door and I sighed. How I wished I could go over there and hang out with them, I hadn't even spoken to either Jasper or Emmett since Friday at lunch. And I missed them.

Edward I could live without. But not Jasper and Emmett.

Maybe not Edward either.

Everything was all so confusing. Especially with Edward.

Another car drove by, and I expected it to drive passed the house, but instead it stopped by the curb on our side of the street. I didn't recognize that car. It was a dark blue Toyota. I didn't know anyone who drove a Toyota.

The driver door opened and I felt my heart sink. It was Riley.

He looked up towards my window, as if he could sense me looking at him, and he waved when he caught sight of me. I waved weakly back. He smiled up at me, and he didn't rush when he walked up to the porch. I guess the rain wasn't bothering him as much as the others.

I heard the door bell ring, but I didn't move away from my seat in the window. Instead I let my mom, or Phil, open. He wasn't here to see me anyway, he was probably here to draw some power from Phil, so he could make him a shell and kill him.

I heard light footsteps in the hallway outside my room, and soon there was a knock.

"Come in," I said, and Riley peeked his blonde head in.

"Busy?" He asked with a twinkle in his eyes. I shook my head.

"Can't say that I am," I replied with a shrug.

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him

"Why didn't you come downstairs?" he asked.

"I thought you were here for Phil," I replied.

"Nah, he's not my type…" he replied with a wink.

He sat down on the window seat and put my legs in his lap. It would have felt nice, and I would have enjoyed the closeness if it weren't for the fact that this guy had made a girl to a shell, and that he was a power hungry monster. And God knows what the hell he wanted with me.

His hair was wet from the rain, and it stuck to his forehead. He shook his head slightly and it ruffled his hair. He was gorgeous. Of course he was. The rain only added to his already handsome face.

I resisted the urge to pull me legs back and push him out the window. How dare he look gorgeous after what he had done?

"Shouldn't you be at work?" I asked, a little more harshly than intended, but if he noticed my tone he sure as hell didn't show it. He just chuckled and shook his head.

"I got off early, I wanted to come and see my girl," he replied and stroked my cheek.

I smiled weakly and he smiled back. Either he was a good actor, or he simply couldn't see how disinterested I was. Maybe he had more in common with Edward than I thought, not only were they both Catcher, but they both probably thought they could have anyone they wanted and no one would ever say no.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Hmm?" I hummed, and he nodded towards the floor.

I followed his gaze and I groaned inwardly. I should have put the book away, but how was I supposed to know that he would come by and notice it?

"Nothing, just a book," I replied nonchalantly with a shrug.

"You always loved your books," he commented and looked back at me.

"I've never been a fan of reality," I replied honestly.

He chuckled lightly and nodded.

"Couldn't agree with you more… the best things happens in our fantasies, and dreams…"

I cocked an eyebrow at him, was he seriously going there?

"I thought you said you didn't believe in dreams," I replied.

"I never said that, I said I didn't believe they mattered, there's a difference," he pointed out.

"You say tomato…" I rolled my eyes, and he chuckled.

"You're amazing, you know that?" he asked, and leaned towards me, and unfortunately I had nowhere to go, so I was forced to meet his lips. Luckily he didn't taste like an ashtray today, instead he tasted like mint and toothpaste. Did he brush his teeth before he got over here?

"Did you brush your teeth?" I asked, not even caring that it was a weird thing to ask.

"In a matter of fact, I did," he replied with a smile against my lips, "I hear that smoking is a turn off for girls…"

With a swift movement he pulled me into his lap, so I was straddling him. And he let his hands wander from my waist up my back. I didn't like it one bit. Instead of the sparks I should be feeling I could feel nothing but disgust and it felt like he was trying to claw my skin off.

But I played my part. I kissed him back, and I let my hands find his hair and pulled him closer.

I couldn't afford to make him suspicious. I had to play his game, I need to be on his side as long as possible. Or else it would all be lost.

"Wanna… continue this in that large bed of yours?" he smirked against my lips.

I pulled back and shook my head.

"No… I'm… I'm just not ready for that just yet…"

"Mmm… I don't mind staying here then," he replied and began kissing my neck.

I tilted my head to the side automatically, to give him better access. And I looked out the window. Edward, Jasper and Emmett were on their way out. Jasper and Emmett climbed into the car, but Edward had stopped dead in his tracks. He was looking up at my window and he met my gaze directly. There was no question that he could see what was going on.

I felt a lump in my throat and it felt like I was on the verge of tears.

I don't know how long we stared at each other. But I didn't care. I could have stared into those green orbs for the rest of my life if I was allowed.

Riley's hands found the hem of my shirt, and he dragged his hands slowly up on the inside of my shirt. He played around with the clasp of my bra, and I had to choke back a sob. I was disgusted by myself.

What the hell was I doing? I didn't want this. I didn't want to do this with Riley. I didn't want Riley. Hell I didn't even want Anthony.

Edward broke our gaze, and climbed into his car. The tires screeched as he drove away, probably as fast as he could to get away from me.

And at that moment I knew why I was so attuned to Edward. And why I had been so upset with Phil when he forbade me from ever seeing Edward again. It was so obvious know.

Riley or no Riley. Soulmate or no Soulmate. Anthony or no Anthony.

Edward was who I wanted. Bad behavior, hot temper and all.

He was who I needed. And he was the only one I could never have.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I couldn't sleep. I was tossing and turning restlessly in my bed, as I had for the past five hours.

It was already after three in the morning, and though I was exhausted – both mentally as well as physically – I just couldn't relax enough to sleep. And it was all my "gift's" fault. It was easier to blame it all on it than on anything else.

Riley and I had made out on the window seat for almost half an hour, before Phil busted into my room and dragged him away. They were gonna hang out with some friends of theirs, and though Riley tried to drag me with them I didn't tag along, I used the ever working homework-excuse, and I promised I would go by his work the next day instead.

I've never been so relieved in my life, as I was when I watched them drive away.

Yes, it was a little unnerving to leave Phil with Riley, but something told me that Phil would be safe, as long as he was awake, and as long as I was on Riley's good side, then he had no reason to hurt Phil. And a part of me hoped that Riley was human enough to leave Phil alone, and that their friendship from when they were kids meant something still, and would keep Riley from hurting him.

Somewhere between my musings I finally drifted off. And when I opened my eyes again and I was looking up at the gray fog and I almost wanted to cry in relief. I was in no mood of watching someone else's subconscious tonight, and I really needed the alone time.

I was laying in the grass and the purple flowers were surrounding me, and the fog was ever moving around me. I sat up and looked around, the fog wasn't as thick as last time, now I was sure I could see the contours of trees behind the foggy veil.

"_Anthony_?" I called out.

I saw a movement in the corner of my eyes, and I smiled automatically when I recognized his shadowy form when he walked past me.

But my smile faded quickly when he didn't answer me, instead he kept pacing next to me.

"_Anthony? What's wrong_?" I asked.

"_Don't fucking call me that…" _he snarled.

I frowned as stood up, and I squinted my eyes to try to decipher his shadow and make out his features but it was impossible.

"_But that's your name?"_ I replied confused.

"_Yes, of course, it's my name_," he snorted. He stopped pacing and turned to me, or at least that is what it looked like. He took a deep breath, as if he was preparing to lash out of me for something, but no words left his lips, and a moment later he was back to pacing.

"_What's wrong_?" I asked, "_Is there something I can do_?"

He stopped pacing and tilted his head towards me.

"_Riley? Are you fucking serious, Bella_?" he asked, a hint of sadness in his otherwise hard voice.

"_What are you talking about_?"

He sighed and dragged his hands through his hair.

"_Fuck it, Bella, what the hell are you doing? First you ignore me… your friends at lunch, and now you're making out with Riley like your life depends on it? What the hell are you doing_?"

I gaped at his shadow and my mouth was opening and closing like I was a freaking fish on dry land.

"_How… how did you know about that_?" I asked, my voice shaky.

"_Oh c'mon_!" he sighed exasperated, "_You really don't know who I am? You can't see me_?"

I slowly shook my head.

"_No… I don't know who you are. You said your name was Anthony… is that a lie? And no, all I can see is your shadow_," I replied quietly, my voice was laced with sadness. Why was he acting like this?

"_You're still not ready_," he muttered, mostly to himself, "_Fuck_."

"_Please stop cursing at me… I've done nothing wrong…"_ I pleaded.

"_Nothing wrong? Nothing wrong?! You're sleeping with the enemy, Bella, you're about to get yourself killed even after everything I… you know what? Forget it. You obviously have a death wish_."

"_No, I don't! I'm trying to protect Phil! Even if it means I have to let a bad guy stick his tongue down my throat. If that is what I have to do to keep my brother from harm, then that's what I'm going to do!" _I snapped at him,_ "You think I like this?! You think I like Riley?! The guy gives me the creeps! You don't have to tell me he's a bad guy, I already know_!"

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. The fog around me was swirling so fast I almost got dizzy, it was as if the fog got upset along with me. I closed my eyes and took another deep breath.

"_Then who do you like_?" he asked after a moment of silence, "_Who doesn't give you the creeps_?"

I opened my eyes again. The fog was still swirling around me, faster than before.

"_A guy I could never have. A guy who won't give me the light of day. A guy who hates me_," I replied with a quiet voice. I felt a silent tear fall down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away.

"_Bella, please don't cry,"_ he whispered, but that only made more tears fall.

"_You're my other half, Anthony_," I whispered, so quiet I wasn't sure he could even hear me, "_I read it today… when two Catcher's crosses each other's Sanctuaries, it means they're each other's halves… and you are mine… but I don't love you…"_

"_I asked you not to call me that," _he replied, his voice nothing but soft and caring. All the earlier anger was gone.

"_What do you want me to call you then?"_ I asked with quiet exasperation.

"_By my real name_," he replied softly.

The way the fog was moving I could make out more than just his shadow, I could make out his form more clearly now. He wasn't a three hundred pound man, he was clearly fairly muscular.

"_And what's your real name_?"

"_You sure you want to know? You sure you're ready_?"

I took a cleansing breath and nodded. If there was something in this life I was sure of, it was this. I needed to know him, if he was my other half then I needed to know who he was.

"_Yes. I'm sure_," I replied steadily.

Suddenly the fog stilled, and the sudden motion confused me. And then, ever so slowly the fog began to dissipate. I looked around, and saw the trees around me take form and the grass expanded out in the fog. Was this a meadow?

It only took a few moments. Then the gray fog was gone, and it was like it had never been there in the first place.

But I was scarcely aware of my surroundings, as I turned back to Anthony, and was finally able to see his face. His body. His form. My eyes locked with his and I froze.

My hand flew to my mouth as I gasped.

He smiled crookedly at me, with his hands in his pocket. He looked so insecure, like he was afraid of my reaction to this revelation. Like I could ever deny him. Even if I wanted too.

"_Hey, Bella_," he said softly.

I didn't think twice when I ran and threw my arm around him.


	18. Other Half

**A/N:** You have no idea how happy I was with your reviews on the last chapter, I'm really glad you guys enjoyed it.

This is not a regular chapter, it's more of a… "bonuschapter" if you will, and that's why it's slightly shorter than the usual chapters. I hadn't even planned on updating today, but yet, here we are.

This chapter is a little different. I decided it was time to hear a little from our main man, Edward. Since Bella finally knows who her other half is, I thought it would be nice to get Edwards side of the story now. So this chapter is totally in Edwards POV.

It takes off where the last chapter ended.

This will probably be one of very few EPOV's that I write for this story, simply because this is Bella's story. But I hope you enjoy it anyway.

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 17 – "Other Half"**

"_**You are my life now."**__**  
**_ ~ Edward Cullen

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_**Edward Cullen POV**_

I didn't know what to expect. But this sure as hell wasn't it. I never in a million years thought that the night she was ready to finally face her fate was the very same night she made it official to everyone, who was looking at her window, that she was with Riley James and she belonged to him.

After I witnessed that horrible event, I got a sick feeling in my stomach and I couldn't get away fast enough. Had Riley gotten through to her? Had he made her realize what she was born to do, and decided to drag her over to his side before she had a chance to look over her options?

What was I thinking? Of course she knew she had options. She knew everything about us. Still, she chose to go with Riley. And I don't believe for a minute that she didn't know who he was, and _what_ he was.

Her chocolate brown eyes looked back at me. And I've never been so afraid in my entire life.

She could see me. Her mind was ready to face her fate, and now the fog and smoke had dissolved for her too, and she could see _me_ and not Anthony.

Was she disappointed? Did she even want me the way I wanted her? Did she hate me?

I slumped my shoulders and dug my hands deeper in my pockets. Of course she hated me. She told me herself that she did… she told _Anthony _that I was a pompous and arrogant jerk. And I didn't deserve her time. God, she must be so disappointed.

And why wasn't she saying anything?

Then suddenly she sprang towards me and threw her arms around my neck. I was slightly taken aback by her sudden attack, but my hands quickly found their way out of my pockets so I could wrap my arms around her, holding her tightly to me and never letting go. Never.

"_Fuck you_," she whispered, as she buried her face into my chest. Her entire body was trembling in my arms, and it felt like she was about to collapse.

"_Yes, I can see why I deserved that,_" I chuckled sadly, and pressed my lips against her soft hair.

"_How long have you known_?" she asked in a small voice.

She pulled back, and looked at me with her beautiful doe eyes. The moment was magical. To have her in my arms, drowning in her eyes in our Sanctuary. Yes. _Ours_.

"_A while…_" I admitted.

She frowned slightly.

"_Even back when I asked you your name, and you said Anthony… you already knew who I was?"_ she asked, and I nodded reluctantly, "_Wow…"_ she took a step back and my body already missed her.

She let go of me completely before sitting down on the grass. I did the same, without taking my eyes off of her for even a second. She looked around, taking in her surroundings for the first time and I wonder what she thought of it.

Because this was our Sanctuary in its purest form.

We were sitting on a meadow, which was formed in a perfect circle. A thick forest was surrounding us, making us feel protected and safe, nobody could ever touch us here. Purple flowers were growing everywhere in the thick grass, and the sky was baby-blue and sparkling. This place was magical. And I remember when the fog had first dissipated for me, it had been a few years now. Back when I was still alone. I had embraced my fate, and I was ready to do whatever I had to. I guess it wasn't really a mystery how come it taken Bella so long to get here. She didn't have the parents I did. Her parents didn't even know about her gift, while my parents had been the ones explaining to me what I was ever since I was a kid. And they never made me feel like I was a freak, they said I should be proud of what I was… though there were times I rather just be normal. They helped me, but Bella never had that. She never had anyone to help her embrace her fate.

The first night, when Bella entered my Sanctuary, I didn't know who she was. But I knew _what_ she was. And it scared the hell out of me.

My mom had told me all about Catcher's and their other halves while I was growing up, but I didn't really believe it. Because, even if I did believe it, what where the odds that I would actually find her?

I was used to walking around the meadow by myself, and just ponder over my life. It had been a while since I caught someone's dream, not since Angela. And I put every effort I could in going to my Sanctuary every night. I knew for a fact that my friends didn't approve of it, they wanted me to use my ability to help people, but little did they know that when I tried to help someone the last time, I almost ended up killing them…

It had been a particular awful day that Sunday, two weeks ago. Tanya had been nagging me about getting more serious about our relationship, and dad was begging me to start considering what colleges I was going to apply to. Even though it was over a year away before I needed to worry about it.

And yes. Tanya.

I met her during a drunken night out in Port Angeles, shortly after the incident with Angela, and she took me to her apartment – and I passed out before anything ever transpired. She scared the shit out of me when I woke up the next morning, and she was straddling me with a wicked smile on her lips.

"Hey Catcher," she said cheerily and dragged her nails down my chest.

"What did you just call me?" I asked, still groggy from sleep.

"Catcher. As in Dreamcatcher," she said, leaning forward and whispered in my ear, "Don't worry, I won't tell if you won't."

I would be lying if I said she wasn't attractive, because she was. But her personality left too much to be desired, and it was impossible to make a deeper connection with her. And I honestly didn't want to either. And the only reason I hung on to her was because it was easy. We could hang out and do stuff without it getting weird, and without having to talk about serious topics, and she never expected more of me and she never asked for it.

Up until three weeks ago. Suddenly she was all about getting serious and be a "real" couple. She wanted me to introduce her to my parents and she wanted us to go on dates.

And that freaked me the fuck out. Because I didn't want that. Not with her. She was only a pass-time for me, and she knew that from the get go. So why the sudden change of mind?

So of course I was furious, irritated and frustrated that Sunday night, and Bella had a shit poor timing when she decided that was the time to turn up in my – or ours I guess – Sanctuary for the first time. I just wanted to be alone, and I didn't care about what mom had told me about "other halves" and all that shit, because I didn't need more girl-drama. Or any drama.

So I snapped at her, and she snapped back. I guess that was to be expected, it was her Sanctuary too after all.

During that first night, I couldn't see her though. My subconscious was obviously not ready for that particular revelation. So instead she was hidden behind a veil of white fog in the middle of the meadow. And the veil didn't disappear until three days later, when she appeared again, at first she was hidden behind the veil but then something changed…

She asked me to ignore her, she sounded tired. So I let her be… for a moment or two. Then I felt the sudden urge to get to know her. I wanted to know her. All of her. Screw Tanya and screw college. All my problems in my waken life didn't matter. This girl, hidden in the fog, was my other half, and didn't I have a right to know who that was?

And that was when the fog dissolved, and I could see a beautiful brown-haired girl leaning back on her arms on the grass. Her eyes closed and relaxed. She was beyond beautiful. And I recognized her immediately. And the shock sent sparks through my entire body.

Isabella Swan.

The new girl.

I shouldn't have been surprised, and I felt stupid for not realizing it sooner. Who else would it have been? Isabella and her brother was the only new people in Forks, and I saw her in the Sanctuary the day before her first day of school. Of course it was her.

But I couldn't take it. I didn't deserve someone as pure and innocent as Bella. Even in here I could feel that she wasn't ready, she was still a newborn to her gift.

"_I guess it's a lost cause of telling you to get lost… so why don't we just do what you suggested earlier? Let's just ignore each other. I don't feel like being social at the moment… there's a reason I chose to come here tonight, alright?"_ I remember telling her, and she agreed, and turned her back to me. But I kept my eyes on her, because I was simply unable to look away from my other half. She was my soul mate.

I was so afraid. Especially when my friends found out what she was, when Rosalie sensed her. And it didn't take long for them to seduce her over to our lunch-table. I couldn't look at her, much less speak to her. And every time I did I said something mean or hurtful. No wonder she thought I hated her. Though I didn't hate her. Not even close.

I fucking loved her. And that scared the crap out of me.

I didn't even know her, but ever since the revelation I knew I had to have her. But at the same time I wanted to protect her, and the only way to protect her from all the evil's in our world was to keep her away from all of it. And that was when I decided to catch a dream for the first time in months.

I went into her brother's mind. Telling him over and over that she shouldn't be hanging out with freaks like us, and that she should have normal friends.

That was one single night, one single catch. And though I really tried to put my message through to him, I don't think I succeeded, because he didn't seem to care much if she hung out with us or not. Yes, he gave her disapproving looks and stuff like that, but he didn't hinder her from sitting with us. He just questioned it once, and after that… nothing.

Maybe my gift was disappearing. Maybe I had no impact on people anymore, maybe my ability had faded over all the months of not using it. I never tried to influence him again, because why bother when my gift obviously wasn't working anymore. Maybe I broke it.

If she only knew how much I cared about her. How much effort I had put in to keep her safe, and each time I tried she just put herself into more danger…

I barely contained my anger and jealousy back at the music store when Riley asked her out. They appeared to know each other from before, and I knew already that Riley was a Catcher just like us, but I didn't know whether or not he knew about her, but I had a feeling he did.

He flirted his way into her heart, and she agreed to go on a date with him. And I just wanted to smash his fucking face in.

And later that same night, when I was sitting on the porch, smoking a well-earned cigarette, I saw her come home. He followed her up to the front door, and kissed her, and it took all of my self-control not to bust over there and poke my cigarette in his eyes or something… it didn't understand my feelings at all. Yes, I knew it was jealousy, but I didn't understand why I felt it so strongly.

Jealousy was a dangerous thing.

Then, when he finally drove off, she looked toward my house. And noticed me. We stared at each other for something that felt like an eternity, but was most likely just a couple of seconds, and all my jealousy went out the window and was replaced by nothing but concern and sadness for her; when I realized she was crying.

But still she insisted on going to that party in Port Angeles with her brother and Riley, and make out with that jerk where all the people could see. And today, with the making out in her room. What was she doing? Was she trying to break my heart? Because it was working

I looked over at Bella, her hair was swaying in the light breeze, and her eyes sparkled in the unnatural light and she was so… there were simply no words to describe her. She was stunning.

She turned her head to me and smiled weakly.

"_You knew all this time…__is that why you didn't want to help me with my gift?"_ she asked quietly.

"_So you're calling it a gift now?_" I teased.

She rolled my eyes and looked away.

"_You know what I mean_," she sighed.

"_Why yes, yes I do," _I sighed and dragged my hands through my already unruly hair, _"and yes, the reason I didn't want to help you is because you're still so new… I know you've done this just as long as I have, but I mastered my gift a long time ago and I've seen shit that nobody have any business seeing, and by helping you master your gift, I will just be helping you to destroy your soul."_

"_That's a little melodramatic, don't you think_?"

"_If I helped you master your ability, and you still couldn't find a way to help someone out. How would that make you feel_?" I asked seriously, looking her straight in the eyes. This was the million dollar question, and I really wanted to have her honest answer. Because I knew what the answer was to me, because I had experienced it. "_Wouldn't it be easier to handle if you couldn't help someone out because you simply couldn't control it?_"

"_But I wanna help… or at least I wanna be able to try and help_," she replied in a weak voice.

"_You don't know what you're getting yourself into… and that stunt you're pulling with Riley… c'mon, you're signing your own death sentence. He will be the death of you_," I replied in frustration, if she only knew what he could do to her.

"_All the more reason for you to stop trying to protect me and just teach me whatever you know. Because I won't give up on this. He's killing Lauren, and I bet he knows he can use Phil to get to me… so I'm not giving up. And now it's up to you whether or not you're gonna let me go in totally blind or if you're gonna help me out,_" she replied with conviction and looked me steadily in the eyes while doing so.

"_Bella, I can't…" _I said in defeat.

She looked down on her lap and her shoulders slumped.

"_Are you disappointed?" _she asked in a bleak voice.

"_Disappointed? Why_?"

"_That it's me… that I'm your other half? That I'm your… soul mate_…" she whispered the last word, as if it was something bad.

I quickly went over to her and sat down on my knees in front of her, she was startled by my sudden movements and she looked at me with scared eyes. She was afraid of me. I frowned, and put my hands on either side of her face.

"_I'm not disappointed by this turn of events,"_ I replied softly, "_But I am disappointed that you have the ridiculous need on putting yourself in danger, with people you don't stand a chance against… Riley is dangerous. And you are hurting not only yourself, but people around you, when you let him come close to you…"_

"_Why do you care? You always acted like you hated me. I don't matter to you_," she whispered, but her voice held no conviction, instead it sounded like she was grasping, needing something to hold on to and something to shield herself with. Even if it was all a lie.

"_You matter more than you know… and if I didn't care I wouldn't have saved you from that party… I wouldn't even bother getting you away from all the evils in the world. I'm just trying to protect you, and it would be in your best interest if you didn't hang out with me or the others ever again… you should hang out with your brother, and their friends… you and Jessica used to be friends, right?"_ I said desperately.

"_I did just that today… I hung out with Phil… I befriended Lauren… and not five minutes ago you yelled at me about it… You can't have it both ways, Edward! You're never happy_!" she replied and threw out her arms in frustration, "_Tell me, Edward, what the hell do you want_?"

I was still holding on her face in my hands and she stared at me in defeat.

"_I just want you_," I replied quietly.

"_I'm already yours_," she breathed.

I pulled her face to me and she met me halfway. Our lips met and electric sparks flew down my spine, and down to my toes, before traveling back up. My entire body felt warm and tingly.

Her small hands went to my neck and she dragged her fingers through my hair and pulled me closer to her. Her mouth was the sweetest thing I've ever tasted, and her hair was incredibly soft as I buried my hands in it.

She laid down and I crawled on top of her, careful not to put my weight on her, though that probably didn't matter since this was all in our heads and we weren't really there. But I wasn't about to take any chances with my Bella.

I let one of my hands travel down her side, and when it reached her waist I lifted her up a little, so her body was pressed against me. I couldn't take any space between us at all.

"_Always you_," I said between kisses, and began trailing kisses down her jaw and to her neck.

"_Mmmm…"_ she hummed in response. Her eyes closed, and her hands still in my hair.

My lips found their way back to her sweet tasting mouth and I kissed her deeply. She shivered underneath me and opened her mouth a little, just enough for me to understand what she wanted. I opened my mouth too and met her tongue halfway, and suddenly, our kisses weren't urgent and passionate anymore but simply soft and loving.

We tasted each other softly and carefully, and neither of us fought for domination, we were so in synch that we didn't need to fight. Our unbreakable connection made it unnecessary. It was like we tried to get to know each other through our kisses, though our souls were already familiar with each other. They knew they belonged together.

"_We… we can't do this_," she whimpered suddenly.

I pulled back and much to my concern, and sadness, I saw tears in her eyes.

"_Of course we can_," I argued softly and stroked away her tears from her cheeks.

"_Phil will kill me. He will make us move away. He hates you. Absolutely detests you. And he doesn't' want me even in the same room as you… that's why I had to say all those things to you in the hallway today… he was looking, and even if he wasn't, I had to put my distance from you… I can't take any chances, Edward, and if he finds out about… whatever we are… then he's most likely to tell Riley… and he will most definitely hurt Phil… and I have to protect my brother_," she replied in a small voice.

"_And I have to protect you_," I replied sternly, "_And you can't let Riley come any closer…"_

She smiled crookedly and stroked my cheek.

"_You don't need to protect me. I can take care of myself_," she replied softly, "_And as long as I do what Riley wants, he will not hurt Phil… and the closer I get to him, the better chance I have to save Lauren…"_

"_You don't even like Lauren_!" I protested.

"_So? I'm not going to let her die or become a shell for the rest of her life just because my personal feelings towards her… I'm not that petty… or that evil for that matter_," she replied.

"_Fuck it, Bella… you're going to get hurt!" _

"_Rather me than Phil, and I rather get hurt than have someone's life on my conscience… I thought that you of all people would understand that…" _

I frowned and rolled off of her, and laid on my back on the grass. She rolled onto her said, and propped her head up on her arm.

"_Angela_," she said simply and I closed my eyes.

"_I don't want to talk about that right now_," I said with a hard voice.

"_I know,_" she said and touched my arm, "_but I assume that the Angela situation is pretty similar to this…"_

"_I said I didn't want to talk about it!_" I snapped and glared at her, she flinched, but didn't remove her hand from my arm.

"_Edward, I need you to help me. Train me. Teach me. Help me become the best I can be. Because I will do this. With our without your help. But I have a feeling that your fears might come true if you don't…" _she said.

"_Bella, please don't do this… please just let Phil know about us. Do whatever you have to do to provoke him and make you move back to Jacksonville or wherever you came from,"_ I pleaded.

She flinched again and this time she pulled her hand back and sat up.

"_You want me to move?"_ she asked in a quivering voice.

"_Of course not… but it's the only way to keep you safe,"_ I argued, sitting up.

"_I'm not going anywhere_," she said angrily, "_and I don't care what will keep me safe. I have to do whatever will keep my brother and my family safe. And I can't leave. And you just have to live with that."_

She stood up and walked off.

"_Where are you going?_" I asked in exasperation.

"_I don't know!"_ she replied in frustration and disappeared into the woods.

"_Bella!"_ I called after her and ran after her, the last thing I needed now was to have her get lost in the woods in her head. I reached the tree line and I didn't see her anywhere in there. _"Bella!" _I called again.

"_What?"_ a voice replied.

I turned around, and found Bella standing by the tree line on the opposite side of the meadow.

"_How did you get over there so quickly?"_ I asked confused.

"_I have a feeling we're stuck here,"_ she replied, _"Try going in there yourself."_

I looked towards the trees again, and shrugged. What did I have to lose?

I walked into the dark woods, and I didn't make it more than maybe ten feet before I found myself walking back onto the meadow, from a completely different side than where I started from.

"_See what I mean_?" she asked.

"_That's freaky_," I agreed, and I was surprised it never occurred to me before to try to walk into the woods. I had always stayed on the meadow.

We met on the middle of the meadow and sat back down.

"_Please don't tell Phil about us, don't tell him anything,"_ she pleaded after a moment of silence.

I looked into her deep brown eyes and how could I ever deny anything she asked of me?

"_I won't."_

She smiled crookedly at me.

"_Thank you."_

"_If you can promise me one thing?"_

"_Anything."_

I sighed and took her hand.

"_Don't let him come too close… don't… don't sleep with him…"_ I almost whispered. I didn't know if I was too late, for all I knew they continued their makeout session on the bed, after I drove off yesterday.

She smiled at me and shook her head.

"_Don't worry, I would never sleep with him,"_ she replied softly, and sighed, _"So… this is it for us I guess…"_

"_We will always have our Sanctuary,"_ I replied with a shrug.

"_But I don't know how to get here by pure will…_ _And whose fault is that?"_ she teased, and gave me a playful shove. I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles.

"_We will always have our Sanctuary,"_ I repeated, _"And don't worry about how to get here. I will see to it that you do."_

She smiled at me, and I smiled back.

I could have stayed there with here forever, but of course the world still existed outside and they wanted our attention. The familiar tone of my alarm clock sounded through the meadow and I sighed.

"_That's my cue,"_ I sighed, _"See you tomorrow."_

I leaned towards her and pressed my lips to hers. I tried to memorize the feeling of her lips moving with mine, since it was the only thing that would keep me from running away with her when I woke up.

The feeling and pressure of her lips against mine disappeared and I opened my eyes. My face was buried in my pillow, and the alarm was still blaring. I sighed, and turned it off, before closing my eyes again.

Maybe she was still there…


	19. Beginning of a new end

**A/N:** And now we're back to Bella, and the drama unfolds…

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 18 – "Beginning of a new end"**

"_**The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."**__**  
**_ ~ Albert Einstein

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I don't know what I had expected to see. A three hundred pound man? A ninety year old man? A freaking vampire? I honestly don't know. But whatever it was, it wasn't this. And to say that I was disappointed would be a lie.

As soon as the first shook settled, I had thrown myself into Edward's arms and I didn't want to let go. It didn't even occur to me that he might be disappointed, or even disgusted, by this turn of events. He didn't like me, remember? _Stupid, stupid, Bella._

But as soon as the doubts kicked it, I found him to hug me back. His strong muscular arms hold on to me so tightly that all my doubts went out the window. He wanted this too. I had buried my face into his chest, as silent sobs rocked my body. Edward held onto me and didn't let go until I was steady enough to stand on my own two feet. And I was sure I was going to turn to goo, when he pressed his lips to my hair.

I replayed our entire conversation over and over again in my head. And though I still could feel his lips against mine, and his hands on my body, I still couldn't believe that it had been him all this time.

And that he had known for a while, and never told me.

I remember when I had spoken to "Anthony" and spewed all my hatred over Edward to him. Saying how much I hated him, and that he was such a pompous jerk. And Edward had not said a word, he just let me continue as if it didn't bother him. Or maybe he let me because he knew I was right…

I woke up the next morning feeling light and well-rested. I was practically dancing my way into the shower, and I was humming to myself as I got dressed and ready for school. I was still humming as I entered the kitchen, and both mom and Phil looked at me weird.

"What?" I asked with a wide smile, "A girl can't be happy?"

"Of course she can," mom replied with a soft smile, "But is there a reason behind your good mood?"

"I think his name is Riley," Phil muttered and shook his head.

I felt my smile freeze on my face, and I had to really force myself to keep it in place and not let my disgust show through.

"Oh, Riley," my mom brightened up even more at the mention of him, "How is that going, sweetie? Are you guys… you know… being safe?"

I couldn't have kept that smile on my face even if I wanted to. My face fell by the mere mention of me doing _that_ with him.

"Ehh… mom… we're not doing… that," I replied slowly.

"Oh, that's good. You don't wanna rush things. You guys are still so new… so when will we get to meet your new boyfriend?" she asked.

Boyfriend. The word gave me the creeps. Especially in this context.

"You have met him countless times, mom," I replied with a sigh and turned to the fridge.

"Why yes, I know that, but this is the first time he will be introduced as your boyfriend," she replied sweetly.

"Whatever mom, I'm still not doing it," I replied.

I grabbed the orange juice from the fridge, and sat it down on the counter. I glanced over at Phil, and he was staring into space like he was in some kind of trance.

"Philly? Can I drive today?" I asked, in an effort to pull him out of it. I didn't like the way he looked, he was beginning to remind me about Lauren, and that was not a good sign.

Phil raised his head slowly and looked at me, his eyes were empty and I felt my stomach drop.

But then he blinked, and he was back to normal. He shook his head and chuckled.

"No way, sister. I'm not feeling very suicidal today," he replied.

I scoffed and turned back to the counter and grabbed a glass from the dish rack. I wasn't offended, obviously, I just needed him to be himself for a moment, and not let his Riley-induced personality show through. It had been a while since I've spoken to my real brother, and if an insult on my driving was the only thing I could have from my old brother, then that would be enough. I just needed something to hold on to.

We had really grown apart during these past two weeks. And we drove to school in silence, he didn't even ramble on about how bad Edward was. He was lost in his own thoughts, and there was nothing I wouldn't give to know what was going on in there. Was there anything else that Riley had done to him, apart from putting him on the "I-hate-Edward"-kick he was currently on?

He parked the car in our usual space and I took a moment to collect myself before leaving the car. And the first person I saw when I did was Edward.

He was standing alone by the opposite side of the parking lot, by his silver Volvo. I was just about to smile at him, when I realized he wasn't smiling at me at all. He was just looking at me the same way he always had up until last night – eyes filled with distaste and boredom. Like he didn't like me.

I swallowed hard and looked away.

_He's just playing his part. He's just pretending. He can't let anyone know what transpired last night. We're each other's dirty little secrets. Nobody can ever know… _

"Bella, are you coming?" Phil asked.

I nodded, and stepped up beside him and walked with him to the school. I didn't even glance at Edward as we passed him. Because I knew I couldn't hide what I was feeling. I was nowhere near as good an actor as he was.

So I did the only thing I could do. I ignored him, and hoped that I wouldn't need to see him for the rest of the day.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The day turned out to be a bad one. No, scratch that. It had been nothing short of awful.

I could feel Edward's eyes on me all the time, although I wasn't even sure he was around. And lunch was dreadful, as I wished I would be able to eat with my real friends and not with Phil and his stupid ones. Jessica had joined us by our lunch table now, and it was awkward to see how she talked a mile a minute to Phil, but he only had eyes for Lauren. And Lauren pretended like she didn't notice, though she kept throwing him innocent smiles and blushing.

The sight was disturbing, since it wasn't really Lauren doing it. It was Riley.

How could he end up being such a bad guy? A part of me wanted to think that he didn't know what he was doing, and that he was being sucked into this against his will. Maybe someone was holding something over his head too?

I shook the thought out of my head and pushed my tray of food away.

I was so naïve. Just because I wanted him to okay, didn't mean he was. He knew exactly what he was doing. And I would never forgive him for it.

I glanced over at my friends, and found that the only ones there were Alice and Emmett.

_Huh, that was weird. Where were the others? I don't think I've ever seen those two together alone before._

I pushed my chair back, stood up and picked up my tray.

"Where you going?" Lauren asked.

"I'm going to the library," I replied, "See you in class."

I threw the contents of my tray in the trash, before marching off. But I didn't go to the library. Instead I walked through the halls, and went outside through the backdoor. I don't know what possessed me to do it, but I made my way to the back of the gym, my feet moving me as if I didn't have a say in it.

"… going to get herself killed!" I caught only the end of Edward's sentence and I stopped dead in my track. I shivered – in a good way - by the mere sound of his beautiful voice.

"Yes, I know you think that. But she's stronger than you think," Jasper replied.

"She can't even control it," Edward replied exasperatedly.

"Oh, that's what you think," Rosalie replied with a smug tone.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Edward asked with a sigh.

"That means that Bella is stronger and further along than you. Yes, she might not be able to control it yet, but that's just a matter of time. You've gotta help her, since she doesn't know where to begin," Jasper replied patiently.

"Further along than me? Yeah right," Edward scoffed.

"Do you remember about how she found out about Riley? When she caught him in Lauren's dream? Well, the first sign of her being further along than you is the fact that she did it undetected. He didn't see her, and he couldn't hear her until she decided he could," Rosalie said, still with that smug tone, "And do you know how much damage to him she can do with that ability?"

"Oh c'mon! You can't be serious!" Edward argued.

"Are you saying we're wrong?" Rosalie challenged.

Edward didn't reply and Rosalie snorted.

"Thought so," she replied after a moment.

I decided it was the time to make myself known, and I turned the corner, making them all look at me startled.

"Hey guys," I said, trying to make my voice light and cheery but I the subtle shaking in my voice was probably ruining the façade. Rosalie gave me a quick hug.

"We've missed you," she said, "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine… I guess. Phil is weird though… I think Riley's getting to him too."

Edward sighed deeply, and pinched the bridge of his nose while squeezing his eyes shut.

"This is going to hell," he muttered.

"Yes, and whose fault is that?" Rosalie snapped, "You always do this, Edward, you refuse to help and say you can't, when we all know that you're the reason why we never get anywhere. If you hadn't been so stubborn this spring then Angela wouldn't have gotten hurt."

Edward's head snapped up, and he narrowed his eyes at Rosalie. But Rosalie didn't even flinch. I guess she was used to his mood swings.

"Edward, I know you don't like to talk about it. But you ignoring it isn't gonna change anything. You know, as well as we do, that it's your fault and your fault alone. So why don't you just get over yourself already and make yourself useful," Rosalie said angrily.

"You don't know shit, Rosalie," he snapped back, "You can't blame what happened on me. I know you love to do it, but you can't. Okay?"

"Whatever, Ed, you can say what you want, but it won't change what happened. So help Bella get control over her ability, so we can destroy those bastards once and for all. You have no idea how frustrating it is to listen in on Lauren's daydreams without being able to do anything about it… they are vile," Jasper shuddered.

I shot my eyes to him in confusion.

"I thought you said you couldn't see her daydreams anymore? That you only saw darkness," I said and frowned, he glanced at me and smiled sadly.

"Yeah, that's the beginning," he replied, "but now, the deeper she goes into their control the more she is affected by their thoughts and intentions… and her daydreams shows their intentions. And trust me, they're not good."

I was even more confused by his answer and he sighed.

"Let's just say that creating shells is both a gain and a pain for them. A gain since they get the power, and a zombie-army, but at the same time they're always connected to their victims, and therefore they're bound to transfer some of their plans and thought to the shells, and exposing what they're thinking to people like me in the process," he replied patiently.

"And what have you seen?" I asked.

He glanced at Rose and Edward before looking back at me.

"They involve Phil. A lot. They change though, yesterday it was all about leaving him be, but today it's been different… they want to hurt him, and once I caught the fleeting thought of maybe killing him too."

"NO! They can't! Why would they wanna do that?! I've done what they wanted me to do. I don't get involved with you, and I keep by his side. What the hell have I done wrong?" I asked bewildered.

"Don't worry, Bella, like I said, the killing part was just fleeting… but I think they want to control him more… not like Lauren, but almost," Jasper sighed and stroked my arm.

"What are we gonna do?" I asked, pointing my question at Edward.

He looked so lost as he looked back at me.

"I don't know, Bella, I can't…" he frowned and shook his head, "I just can't."

"Bullshit, Edward," Rosalie said pushing him, "You just won't! You fucking asshole. Are you gonna let Bella's brother die just because you're too afraid of trying? You asshole!"

She gave him another push, and he just let her.

We heard the warning bell sound in the distance and Rosalie shook her head.

"Fuck you, Edward, you're a sorry excuse for a human," she spat and stormed off.

"I'm with her on this one, Ed, you suck, man," Jasper muttered as he followed Rose.

Edward groaned and leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down until he was almost sitting on the dirty ground. He looked so defeated, and I didn't understand it.

"Edward, what is going on with you?" I asked softly, crouching beside him and touching his arm gently. He looked up at me and I smiled weakly at him.

"Bella, I might have mastered my ability but there are some things I just can't do," he sighed, and he looked so guilty as if he was confessing to a crime.

"Nobody is expecting you do to it all, we just expect you to help where you can," I replied softly.

"But that's the thing," he replied gesturing wildly with his hands, "I can't help! You have no idea how much I tried to help Angela. I went into her dreams and tried to revoke the damage they had done, but instead I think I made it worse… It was the night after I tried to help her that she got into her accident… I think I was the one who drew the last piece of energy from her…"

He hid his face in his hands and I put my arms around him, pulling him to me and hugging him close.

"You tried to help. That's what matters, okay?" I said quietly, "She was probably broken beyond repair at that point, and I don't think it was your fault… I think it was just a bad coincidence that you happened to be there when it happened… you can still help, Lauren and Phil aren't as far along as Angela was… you can still help. I need you to help."

He looked up at me with tired eyes.

"But do you really want to take that risk? I could kill your brother," he said calmly.

I smiled crookedly and stroked his cheek.

"I don't think you could," I whispered.

He touched my cheek too, and I leaned in and touched my lips to his. He immediately brought my bottom lip between his. He tasted even better in real life than he did in the Sanctuary.

"Help us, Edward. We can't destroy them without you. We need you. I need you," I pleaded desperately against his lips. He groaned and pulled away.

"Bella, you don't know what you're asking of me," he sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.

"Edward, please," I pleaded, taking his hands between mine.

He looked pained, but I could see the resolve in his eyes.

"If I'm supposed to help you, you need to be in the Sanctuary tonight. I don't care what you need to do to get there, but you need to be, okay?" he said quietly, but the seriousness was evident in his voice and his eyes, "Promise you you'll be there." I nodded. "Promise me!"

"I promise," I whispered.

He kissed my forehead, before pulling himself to his feet. He held out a hand to me and pulled me up to. He leaned down and kissed me and I eagerly kissed him back.

"We need to get back," he sighed, "the less we see each other in waken life, the better."

"Yeah, I know," I pouted at the thought, and he snickered quietly.

"I don't like it either, but we'll be together soon enough, don't worry," he said.

He smiled and stroked a hair strand from my face, and tucked it behind my ear.

"I'll see you in my dreams," he said, before walking away.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Hey babe," Riley said as I entered Music Mania.

He was putting up some CD's on the news-rack, and he put down the ones he was holding, before coming over to me and wrapping me into a hug. He pressed his lips against mine with such enthusiasm it made me breathless – but not in a good way.

"I almost thought you had forgotten all about me," he said when he pulled back.

"I would never forget about you," I replied honestly, because that wasn't a lie in the slightest.

"Good to know," he smirked.

He gave me another chaste kiss, before going back to his work. I followed him and watched him work for a moment I wondered how he could possibly be evil. I really couldn't get past it at all.

"What do you say about doing something when I get off work? You could follow me to Port Angeles, and we could grab a bite and watch a movie at my place…" he suggested.

"I can't, I have loads of homework to do," I lied and looked at him sheepishly.

"Oh, I can help you with those," he offered.

"Nah, it's okay… I rather do it myself," I replied with a shrug.

"Your loss," he sighed and picked up the box that he had emptied from CD's, and walked over to the storage area. I sighed and went over to the counter and leaned back on it, waiting for his return. A minute or so later, he came back and he walked over to me.

He put his hands on my hips and pushed himself against me, so I was pinned between him and the counter. He might have thought I would think it was hot to get pinned like this, but instead it was only creeping me out.

He leaned in, and I thought he was going to kiss me again, but his face leaned away from mine, and I wondered what he was doing until I felt his lips against my neck. Okay. Rather my neck than my lips. At least I didn't have to taste him now.

I tilted my head and I looked out the store window. I guess I had nothing if not timing.

Edward, Jasper and Emmett was walking by and looking in just as Riley kissed his way up my neck, and to my jaw. I felt myself blush and I had to look away. It was weird to have your secret soulmate walk in on you with your enemy's lips on your neck.

Riley pulled back, when he felt I didn't respond, and he looked confused before looking out the store window himself. And he caught the last glance of them before they disappeared out of sight.

"Ugh," he said and looked back at me, "The only one more crazy than Edward Cullen is his disgusting friends. Please tell me you're not hanging out with them."

I forced myself to laugh and shake my head.

"Of course not," I replied, "I hang out with Phil and Lauren… I guess I was too new and stupid to realize what kind of freaks Edward and his friends were when I first came back to Forks."

I tried to make my voice light and nonchalant, and all the while Riley was looking at me intensely, probably trying to detect whether or not I was telling the truth.

"Good," he said finally and I relaxed slightly. He pressed his lips to mine again and I forced myself to kiss him back. He pulled back and smirked at me, "Because I wouldn't want my girlfriend to get involved with the wrong crowd… and if they tried anything with you I might just have to kill them."

And I had no doubt that he would do just that.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I had a hard time falling asleep that night. But I guess that would to be expected with all the thoughts that were fighting for dominance in my head. And of course, this being my luck, I wasn't exhausted when I went to bed either, and that was made perfectly clear as I closed my eyes, and didn't find myself in the meadow when I opened them again.

Instead I was in a school, facing a hallway that seemed to go on forever. Phil was standing next to me with an empty expression. I took his hand automatically.

"_It will be okay, Phil, I won't let him hurt you," _I said quietly.

He looked down on me and smiled.

"_I won't let Edward hurt you either,"_ he replied softly.

"_Don't believe Riley. Edward is not a bad guy, he's trying to help me. He's trying to help you too. You can trust him."_

He looked away from me and I saw Riley walk towards us from the endless hallway, and I narrowed my eyes instantly. Depending on what Riley would do now, I would get my answer. But something told me that his mere presence in Phil's dream was answer enough for me, and if he thought he was going to managed to hurt Phil tonight, then he would be greatly disappointed.

The closer he came, the more pronounced became his expression. He was pissed.

"_Kill him, Phil. Kill that mother fucker. Edward is hurting Bella. She doesn't want to admit that because she's afraid of him. He's hurting her, Phil. You need to kill him. You need to break their connection,"_ Riley said with an ominous voice that gave me the chills.

"_Kill Edward,"_ Phil repeated with a nod.

"_No! Leave Edward alone. He hasn't done anything. He's a good guy. You know that. He's done nothing wrong. He's a good guy. A really good guy!"_ I tried my best to get my message to sink in, and squeezed his hand harder. I was not going to let Riley win this.

"_Good… guy?"_ he repeated the words like a question and Riley's eyes widened.

"_He's a bad guy, Phil, you know that,"_ he all but snarled.

"_Good… guy… Edward?"_ Phil continued glancing at me confused, he almost looked like a kid who was learning something new. I didn't even want to know what repercussions this argument would have when he woke up.

Riley followed his gaze and it landed on me, but once again I got the feeling that he simply couldn't see me and that his gaze was going right through me instead.

"_Oh Bella, you couldn't leave well enough alone for even five minutes_," he said into thin air, he was probably not totally sure that I was even standing here. It gave me a slight feeling of power.

But that feeling quickly left me as he suddenly grabbed Phil's throat and gripped his hand tight around it. Phil's eyes widened and he looked absolutely terrified. He was gasping for air, but Riley didn't let any in.

"_Is this what you wanted to happen, Bella?_" Riley yelled in my general direction, before narrowing his eyes at Phil, _"The blame is on you. And you alone."_

Phil began making scary gurgling noises, and his eyes were wide in panic.

"_Bellaaa…"_ he managed to choke out, _"…help… mee…"_

I didn't need to be told twice. I let go of his arm and jumped on Riley with such force that it surprised him and he let go of Phil and tumbled to the floor. I pinned him to the floor and he squirmed underneath me.

"_You leave Phil alone! He's not yours to destroy! You crossed a line, and you will not get away with this,"_ I snarled at him, _"You went too far, Riley, you went to freaking far. And this time you'll regret it!"_

"_Phil will not approve of you and Edward you know,"_ he said calmly. _"You're so innocent, Bella, so easily swayed. You don't know what you're getting yourself into, and I would hate to see your innocence getting lost like that…"_

He sounded so sincere, and I would probably have fallen for it if it weren't for the fact that he was gripping my brother's throat not a half minute ago. He was evil, and I had to keep reminding myself of that fact.

"_Leave Edward alone… he hasn't done anything!"_

"_I saw him take you from the party. He thought he was sneaky, and that nobody saw him. But of course I did. I kept my eyes on you the entire night. I didn't think the drug would be in affect so soon, but it was, and I was surprised when Edward was so quick to save you."_ He smirked smugly. "_Tanya was clever, bringing you that beer and you drank it without a second thought… we had it all planned out. But then Edward had to ruin it all by playing the part of the knight in shining armor… Tanya isn't very happy about that… seeing as Edward is her toy, not yours."_

"_He's not an object,_" I argued quietly.

"_There's where you're wrong,"_ he hissed, _"He's just a fucking pawn in this sick game."_

"_And what does that make you?"_

"_The winner, of course," _he replied coolly.

"_And what game are we playing?"_

"_The game of power. The one with the most power wins."_

"_Power… everything always comes down to power, doesn't it? But what do you need me for? I don't even know what the hell I'm doing!"_ I protested, feeling a bit of my patience leaving my body with each word.

"_A Catcher is only as strong as the Catcher he's with,"_ he replied with a light shrug, "_and because of Edward. Of course. If it weren't for him, then I probably would have let you be."_

"_What did Edward ever do to you?"_ I asked.

"_He took something that didn't belong to him. He did something he should have, because he visited someone he had no business visiting,"_ he replied.

"_And who would that have been? Your mother!?"_ I snapped.

He laughed and shook his head.

"_No, not my mother,"_ he replied calmly, before adding, _"her name was Angela."_

I felt all the blood rush from my face.

"_That was you?"_ I gaped at him.

"_Why yes, it was,"_ he replied, looking quite pleased with himself for almost killing an innocent girl, _"she was the best power-outlet I've seen in a long time… but then he had to destroy it all by visiting her at the most crucial point. And poff went the angel."_

"_You're fucking crazy."_

"_On the contrary, actually, I'm quite sane,"_ he replied, _"but you would be crazy if you went against me. You wouldn't want your brother to get hurt now, would you?"_

He didn't need to see my face to know what I was feeling.

"_Of course you wouldn't,"_ he stated, _"So be a good girl and do what you're told, okay?"_

"_If you hurt Phil then I promise you that I will kill you myself," _I said seriously.

"_There's no doubt in my mind that you would," _he smirked,_ "but if you killed me, then you can be sure that Edward would be close behind. I'm not alone either, you see."_

"_You disgust me,"_ I spat.

"_Well, you can't win them all." _

I climbed off of him and it took all of my willpower not to kick him in the balls. We all know he would deserve it. He chuckled as he stood up and dusted the invisible dust from his pants.

"By the way… thank your grandma from me," he said casually, to nobody in particular, "Yeah, yeah, I know she's dead and all… sorry about that by the way… but the book was very helpful…"

He smirked in my general direction and I realized what he was saying. I didn't lose the journal! He stole it from my room!

"_There's nothing you can do now, Bella, the damage is already done, and it's all on you," _he said loudly, and laughed.

I turned my head and looked at Phil, he was looking at me with a sad expression.

"_I'm so sorry," _I whispered to him.

He didn't react or say anything. He just kept on looking at me. I didn't dare to look away, afraid of what might happen if I did. In the corner of my eye, I could see Riley walk down the endless hallway, disappearing out of sight.

I was so angry at myself. In retrospect it was humiliating how gullible I was. Just because a guy was cute didn't mean he was any good. Riley was a good example of that. And just because a guy acted like a jerk didn't mean he was one. And Edward was a good example of that.

I grabbed Phil's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"_Don't worry, Phil, I won't let him hurt you again. You're gonna be okay, and I'm gonna see to it that he's not gonna hurt anybody else," _I said to him.

He sighed and furrowed his brow.

"_He's… dangerous," _he said quietly, "_Riley… not safe."_

I smiled sadly at him and nodded.

"_What do you say we get out of here and go somewhere fun? What do you want to do?"_ I asked, the words tumbling out of my mouth before I could even think about it. What was I doing?

"_Surprise me,"_ he replied with a weak smile.

I nodded again and closed my eyes. I don't know what I was trying to do, but whatever it was, it obviously worked. Because when I opened my eyes we were no longer in the hallway.


	20. They call me a Dreamcatcher

**A/N:** This chapter was really fun to write, and I hope it will be equally fun to read. It's amazing how much I managed to put into a short 5,000 word chapter.

And please, if you have questions about the story, send me a PM instead of putting it in your review, since it's easier for me to keep track on which questions I have answered, and which I have not. Thanks!

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 19 – "****They call me a Dreamcatcher****"**

"_**Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead."**__**  
**_ ~ Benjamin Franklin

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When I opened my eyes we were no longer in the hallway. We were standing in the middle of the street, just outside our house. It was light out, but there was no sign of the sun being present.

I glanced at Phil, he looked tired.

"_Phil? You okay?"_ I asked, he slowly looked down on me and ever so slowly he opened his mouth. I thought he was going to answer me, but instead he screamed. And what a blood curdling scream it was. He snatched his arm back from me and took a few stumbling steps backwards.

"_What the hell is this…?_" he asked furiously, he was breathing heavily, and he looked around vehemently, as if he was afraid that something would jump out and attack him. He squeezed his eyes shut and gripped his hair. His behavior was beginning to freak me out… was this one of the consequences for interfering in his other dream? Maybe a catcher wasn't supposed to follow him or move him around between dreams._ Damnit_.

"_I don't wanna dream anymore… I don't wanna dream anymore…"_ he mumbled to himself, as he tried to wake himself up. Suddenly he shot his head up and he stared at me, then he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

I looked around confused.

Where did he go?

"_Phil_?" I called, but there was no answer, "_PHIL!?_"

I ran over to where he had been standing, and searched the ground for any sign as to where he went. Something told me it wasn't a good thing to be left behind in a dream, especially since I didn't dream myself…

I walked up to our house and the front door, I tried to turn the doorknob but I couldn't open the door, it was stuck. With a sigh I turned and walked back to the street. I looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. The street looked just the same. The only difference was that the light didn't feel natural, and there were no cars or people anywhere, it was like a ghost town.

I looked up at Edward's house and to his window, and I felt a weird tugging feeling in my stomach.

"_If I'm supposed to help you, you need to be in the Sanctuary tonight. I don't care what you need to do to get there, but you need to be, okay? Promise me you'll be there. Promise me!"_

I gripped my hair and looked around. Damnit! I promised him! How was I supposed to get there now? I didn't even know how I was supposed to leave this place!

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe I could just will myself to wake? Just like Phil had done, and just like I've done countless times in the past when a dream had turned out to be too much.

"_Please let me wake up, please, please, please…"_ I chanted to myself.

I opened my eyes, just to find myself staring back at the familiar street. How was I supposed to get out of here, if I couldn't even wake up? Was I stuck here forever now?

A wind ruffled my hair, and a few dead leaves twirled in the wind. I sat down on the curb and frowned. Had this been waken life, I would have been freezing in my light top and jeans, but not here. Here it was just the right temperature. Not too hot, not too cold.

Another gust of wind ruffled my hair and I closed my eyes. Not even the wind was cold.

"_Bellaaa…." _

I shot open my eyes again and looked around. I could have sworn somebody calling my name.

"_Who's there?"_ I asked, and stronger gust of wind blew right at me, almost throwing me on my back in the process.

"_Gooo…"_

I stood up and looked around, leaves were whirling all around me.

"_Go where?" _

"…_hooool."_

"_Hool? What the hell is hool?"_

The wind whirled around me, making my hair stuck to my face and I couldn't see squat.

"_School!"_ the voice said stronger and I nodded.

"_Okay, okay, no need to get pissy about it,"_ I sighed and scowled at nothing in particular, as I began walking down the street.

The walk should have taken me a while, since a car ride alone took ten minutes, but for some reason it felt like no time had passed at all when I reached the school steps. Maybe time works differently, and feels differently, in dreams. I had never really thought about it before.

The parking lot was empty of course; I wasn't surprised since I hadn't seen a single car on my way over. I walked up the stairs and stopped in front of the double doors to the school. Was I even supposed to go inside? _Only one way to find out…_

I put my hand on the door-handle and pulled, and the door opened without any trouble. I had almost expected it to be stuck, just like my house. But maybe that was because I wasn't supposed to go in there.

Since I didn't know where I was supposed to go, when I was in there, I let my feet steer me without me giving it much thought. And before I knew it I found myself in a very familiar hallway. And I almost wanted to chuckle. Wasn't I here just a moment ago?

The hallway seemed to stretch out forever, just like when I was here with Phil and Riley.

I took a few tentative steps into the endlessness. What was the worst thing that could happen if I followed Riley's path?

"_Didn't you promise me you'd be in the Sanctuary?"_ a voice behind me asked.

I whirled around and saw Edward stand a few feet away, leaning casually against a locker with a lazy smirk on his lips.

"_Yes, but you also know that I don't have any control over it,"_ I replied calmly with a smile.

"_You have control over it, all you had to do was to exhaust yourself enough to be too tired to catch,"_ he replied with a simple shrug_, "And yet, here we are."_

"_About that,"_ I frowned, "_What the hell is this place? Phil disappeared to I don't know where… and this isn't anyone's dream… how did you even get here_?"

He stepped over to me and put his hands on either side of my face and leaned in to kiss me softly on the lips, before letting me go.

"_There's where you're wrong, silly Bella,_" he said smiling, "_This is your dream_."

"_But… I can't dream,"_ I protested and he chuckled.

"_Rosalie wasn't wrong when she said you were further along,"_ he said almost to himself.

I stared into his emerald eyes, trying to find the answers to my questions, but as he stared right back at me I realized he was just as lost as I was on this.

"_How is that even possible? The book says a Catcher can't dream. We're born to catch other's dreams, and not have any of our own,"_ I argued.

"_You can't dream,"_ he replied simply.

"_You just said I did!"_ I replied frustrated.

He chuckled again and I frowned. I wasn't enjoying his attitude at the moment.

"_You hijacked the dream,"_ he said smiling, _"the reason Phil disappeared is because he woke up. You can't have your own dreams, but you can hijack them and make them your own."_

"_The book said nothing about that_," I pouted.

"_I didn't know about it either, until Alice told me this afternoon… apparently she knew all about the hijacking,_" he said shaking his head.

"_What a timing she has…"_ I said under my breath.

"_Rosalie has kept us updated on some things, she says she had sensed an expanding of power in you, and that's both a good thing and a bad thing at this point… and that's why Alice told us about the hijacking, along with some other things."_

"_I'm gaining power…? I'm… a hunter?"_

"_No, not at all, Bella, c'mon, you could never be a hunter,"_ he said in a comforting tone, _"But apparently you're drawing power subconsciously from the people you're visiting, and you are doing it in such a subtle way that none of you gets hurt because of it. And apparently you've done it for a long time, and the power you gain now grows exponentially once it reaches you."_

"_And that's a… bad thing?"_

"_In your case it can be, since you can't control your ability yet." _He sighed and looked around._ "So care to tell me why Emmett called me at four thirty in the morning, telling me to catch Phil, and meet you at school?"_

I gave him a surprised look.

"_Emmett called you?"_

"_Yeah, he's been keeping track of Phil, and he told me something went down, and that I had to catch you. He didn't give me any details other than where to meet you."_

"_Oh…"_ I said, turning my head towards the endless hallway_, "Riley was here."_

Edward growled under his breath and gripped my chin, and turned my head to him.

"_Riley was here? And you're just mentioning this now? What happened?" _He was angry now, all the earlier calm was wiped away.

"_He tried to influence Phil, and I did too… then he tried to choke Phil, so I attacked Riley and… well… then he left, I guess,"_ I rambled.

"_He… left? Just like that?"_ he asked incredulously.

"_Yes, he did, right after saying that this was on me and I don't know… I'm worried about the consequences. The way we interfered tonight can't be good, Phil looked so confused and unsure and I'm… I'm scared that we hurt him,"_ I mumbled.

"_He woke up, and as long as he wakes up, you don't need to worry,"_ he said.

I looked at him and smiled crookedly, and he smiled back dazzling me in the process, making my breath hitch.

"_Was it your voice in the wind_?" I asked breathlessly. He frowned and tilted his head to the side.

"_Wind? What?"_

"_I guess not,"_ I sighed, feeling oddly disappointed.

"_What voice?"_

"_I was outside your house, and a voice in the wind told me to meet you here,"_ I explained with a sigh, and his eyes lit up and he smiled widely.

"_You heard a voice in the wind in your hijacked dream?"_ he asked, to clarify what I've said.

"_Yes, I did," _I said_, "What? Does it mean something?"_

He laughed out loud, before he looked around and smirked.

"_Emmett, if you're here right now, you know you're pretty disgusting right?"_ Edward said with an amused tone, pointing his question in no particular direction.

"_You guys confuse me, I thought you hated each other. And now you're standing in here kissing and… eww…"_

I was startled to hear Emmett's familiar voice, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"_Where are you?"_ I asked with a shaky voice.

"_Here, there, everywhere,"_ Emmett laughed, his voice bouncing off the walls and echoing in a way that it was impossible to tell where it come from.

"_What the hell?" _I frowned, _"What happened to you not being able to interact or be seen in people's dreams? You just track and that's it!"_

He laughed again and I scowled.

"_We're in your head now, sweetpea, and I guess some of the rules don't apply to you,"_ he replied.

"_My head is starting to hurt. Who decided it was time to change the game plan just when I was beginning to get a handle on things and how everything worked?"_ I asked with a tired sigh.

"_You have only yourself to blame,"_ Edward smirked, and pulled me to him.

I leaned my head against his chest and he kissed me on the top of my head.

"_Did you see everything, Emmett? With Riley?"_ I asked with a quiet voice, and the mere mention of Riley made Edwards arms constrict, hugging me impossibly closer to him.

"_Yes, I did… and I must say I was impressed. Who knew you could be so scary_," Emmett chuckled.

"_You saw what he did to Phil… you think that will be repercussions?"_

Emmett's chuckled died down.

"_I don't know, little one, I don't know. But to be honest… yeah, I think it will. If you're killed in your dreams, you die in real life too, and being strangled in your dream probably isn't very good either,"_ he said in a very serious, un-Emmett like, tone.

I closed my eyes and breathed in the delicious scent of Edward.

"_What do you say we leave Emmett to fend for himself, and we'll go to the Sanctuary?"_ Edward whispered quietly in my ear.

"_I can't leave,"_ I said quietly.

"_What do you mean_?" Edward asked, in a whispering tone.

"_I tried to leave this place when I was on the street outside our house, but I couldn't leave… I couldn't wake up…"_ I explained in a shaky whisper.

He pulled back and looked at me.

"_You sure you tried hard enough?"_

"_Yes! Of course I'm sure!"_

"_Try again, for me,"_ Edward said seriously.

I forced a smile and took a step back. I closed my eyes and concentrated really hard on leaving. I used every trick I've ever used to get out of a dream, but nothing worked. I opened my eyes again just to see Edward looking back at me with a deep frown on his face and I didn't like it. Edward was supposed to be the one with the answers, and he shouldn't be frowning like he didn't know what to do.

"_I'm gonna leave now," _Edward said, "_And I'm gonna wake you up. Don't worry… I'll be right there."_

Edward closed his eyes, and within a second he was gone.

"_You want me to stay?" _Emmett asked.

"_No, it's okay… I can't even see you, and it's pretty disturbing to talk to someone you can't see," _I sighed.

"_Don't worry, you'll wake up. You're probably too tired to force your eyes open," _he said reassuringly.

"_Thanks, Em, see you tomorrow."_

"_Anytime, Bells, anytime, bye!"_

I could feel the very second I was alone in the empty hallway. No Edward, no Emmett… No Riley.

I sat down by the lockers, and pulled my legs up and leaned my forehead against my knees. Emmett was probably right. I was tired. And that was probably why I couldn't wake up.

A stroke on my cheek made me snap my head up, I expected to see Edward again, but there was no one there. I felt the hand again against my cheek, and this time it stayed there.

"_Bella, wake up, sweetie, wake up…"_

I felt warm lips against my forehead, and on my nose and on my lips. Have you ever been kissed by an invisible man? I have, and it's freaking disturbing. Closing my eyes again felt like a good idea at the moment, and I relished in the feeling of Edward's invisible hands, pretending he was there with me.

Then suddenly I was shaken violently, and I was pushed against the lockers over and over again. What the hell was going on now? Was he trying to kill me? _Way to wake me up, Edward!_

He didn't stop and I was thrown around even more, I was becoming dizzy by the motions I had no control over and squeezed my eyes shut in order not to pass out… if that was even possible in a dream. I doubt it.

The shaking stopped, and I slowly opened my eyes and blinked a few times.

"Finally," Edward sighed, kissing me forcefully on the lips, "You scared me."

I looked around confused, it took me a moment to realize I was in my bed.

"How did you get in here?" I asked him.

He chuckled and sat down on the bed, beside me.

"I may or may not have climbed up a tree, to get to your window… luckily for me, you don't lock it," he said with a soft smile.

I moved a little to the center of the bed, and gestured for him to lay down. He smiled, as he did what I asked, and then put his arm around me, as he spooned me from behind.

"Why was it so important for me to be in the Sanctuary?" I asked quietly.

"It's easier to learn when there, you need to be relaxed if you wanna learn how to control it all, and there is no place like the Sanctuary," he replied, his breath warm in my neck.

"Are you angry I… I wasn't?"

"No, I was prepared that you might not turn up… but I am a little angry that you decided to intervene with Riley and Phil… you could have really hurt yourself," he sighed.

"Yes, and he could have hurt Phil, so it was a lose-lose situation anyway," I replied, and turned so I was laying face to face with him.

"What you did was very dangerous… and the fact that I almost couldn't wake you is…" he closed his eyes and frowned, it looked like he was in pain, "I thought I'd lost you."

I smiled weakly and stroked his cheek.

"But you didn't. My mind was probably not prepared for the hijacking, and the attack and everything… I was probably just drained," I said in a comforting tone, hoping that I wasn't lying to him. "Why don't you explain the technique now, and we can try them out tomorrow?"

He sighed, and I was prepared to argue with him when he was telling me no, but he surprised me by nodding.

"Okay… this is how you do it…"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Edward told me everything I needed to know, and he answered all my questions without me having to drag them out of him. I guess he was finally realizing he couldn't keep me from this world anymore, and that he was doing me more harm than good by trying to push me away. That night's adventure must have proven that to him.

Edward left my room, the same way he came in, when it was almost five thirty. I knew my parents always woke by six, and we didn't want to risk them seeing him. He gave me a deep, passionate kiss, that made me weak in the knees, before he left through the window.

I took my time, going through my morning ritual with showering and getting dressed, and it was almost seven when I was finished.

I opened my door, to go downstairs, but jumped in surprise when I saw Phil stand outside. He was leaning against the wall in front of my door and had his arms crossed over his chest.

"What did you dream about last night?" he asked casually, but his eyes were anything but.

I opened my mouth to answer, but closed it right away.

"What? You don't remember?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm… eh… what was the question?" I asked, smiling awkwardly.

"Don't give me that shit!" he said angrily, "What the hell was that?!"

I still had no answers, and he pushed me back into my room, and slammed the door behind us.

"You were there. Riley was too. You insisted that Edward was good, then you attacked Riley… and you brought me to our house and… what the hell are you, Bella?!" he was frustrated and terrified, and he dragged his hands through his hair, and I could tell by the mess on his head that he had done it quite a few times now.

But his hair wasn't my concern right now, but the fact that he knew something was up.

"I've always known something wasn't quite right with you, and when we moved back here things about you just got weirder. You chose to hang out with the freaks, without a second fucking thought. You ask about Riley out of the blue, and he starts asking questions about you, like who you hang out with, and he tells me that Edward Cullen is dangerous, and you keep insisting that he's not," he was pacing back and forth in my room now, not looking at me while he rambled, "he was fucking obsessive about you. And I keep having these dreams, where he's warning me about the freaks and how I have to keep you away from them… then all of a sudden you show up, telling me that Edward isn't dangerous and that Riley is…" He stopped pacing and looked at me, "Don't say I'm crazy. I know I'm not. I don't know how you do it, but you were there. In my dreams. And not just some crazy dream-you. But the real you. You were there."

He was staring at me intensely and I wasn't about to even try to deny his allegations.

"Yeah, I was there," I admitted with a sigh, "And I was trying to save you. I wasn't lying when I said that Edward isn't dangerous, he's not the one you should look out for."

He gave me a weird look, like he just couldn't believe I just admitted to it. Maybe he was hoping I would argue, and tell him he was crazy… and maybe that would have been easier for him to handle.

"_What_ are you?" he whispered.

"They call me a Dreamcatcher," I replied with a sad smile.

"Okay, and what does that mean?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest again.

"That means I visit people's dreams… or 'catch' them like we call it, and try to help out if I can, by altering the dreams and… yeah… things like that," I shrugged.

"And how long have you been able to do this?"

"Since the day I was born."

"Huh… is that why you were so interested in dreams when you were little?" he asked, a small smile on his features.

"Yeah, pretty much… and that's why mom moved us to Jacksonville too, because she didn't like what I was. And when she and grandma got into a fight over it, I guess that was it," I replied.

"So mom knows?"

"That depends on how you look at it, I don't think she really knows, I just think she knows something is off about me, at least that what she's telling herself. She doesn't like the fact that her only daughter is a freak," I chuckled humorlessly.

He nodded slowly, taking it all in, I was impressed that he was even still in the room, and not busy calling the mental hospital in order to get me committed.

"But grandma knows… _knew?_" he corrected himself at the last second, and a flash of pain crossed his features.

"Yeah, she was one too," I replied quietly.

"Huh, how about that…" he said nodding.

"You okay there, brother?" I asked with a tentative smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" he patted his stomach and gave me a smile, "But I think I need breakfast."

"You and your stomach," I chuckled, as I followed him out.

When we reached the stairs he stopped dead, before turning to me with a pained expression, and a single name left his lips.

"Lauren."

I frowned and nodded.

"Riley."

"Thought so," he replied, walking downstairs.

"I'm trying to save her though, but to be able to do that I need to be with my friends today to talk everything over," I said to him in a quiet whisper, as we entered the kitchen.

"They're like you too?" he asked, dragging his hands through his hair again, he looked totally baffled.

"Yeah… well no… well… Edward is like me, he does what I do too. But the others are different, they don't do what we do," I explained with a wave of my hand. I wasn't about to get into that discussion right now, I had a feeling Phil's head would explode if I updated him on the abilities of the others.

"Don't worry, go sit with the freaks. If that is what needs to be done to keep Riley from choking me in my sleep, so be it," he sighed, and plopped by the table, "but I guess it's obvious now… why everybody thinks they're freaks…" he chuckled humorlessly to himself and I patted his back.

"They may be freaks, but that just means I fit right in," I said to him with a smile.

"If that ain't the truth, I don't know what is," was his simple reply.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Phil was taking the news better than I could ever have hoped for, he didn't mention anything to our parents, and he kept asking me questions during the ride to school, not seeming even remotely bothered by any of it. It was pretty amazing, when you thought about.

"Okay, I should warn you…" I said when we were a few blocks away from school.

"What? More secrets? Don't tell me… let me guess… you're a vampire too?"

"Har har," I muttered, "No, it's just that me and Edward are like…"

"A couple?" he asked, glancing at me.

"No, not a couple… or… I don't know. I honestly don't know what we are. But yeah, we're… something," I concluded with a sigh.

"Okay."

I looked at him in confusion.

"Okay? Just okay?"

"You want me to yell at you and tell you to keep away from that freak or else I'll see to it that we move?" he teased, and I rolled my eyes.

"No, I'm just… surprised by your understanding."

"I don't want to get involved in this, Bella, but if you feel that you want to be with Edward and be friends with the freaks, so be it… and you obviously have some things in common so…" he said with a shrug.

"Thank you, Phil, it means a lot," I said, squeezing the hand he had on the gearshift.

"Just promise me you won't get yourself hurt."

"I promise." I smiled at him, "And I hope you realize you can't tell anyone about this. This has to stay between us."

"Who would I tell anyway?" he snorted, "Anyone I told would think I was crazy."

We reached the school, and we parked in our usual space. Edward was standing with the others by his Volvo, he was parked next to the steps. I gave him a small wave, and he looked a little surprised by the gesture but he waved back.

I smiled and walked with my brother.

"See you at… I guess not lunch then…" Phil said as we neared my friends, "See you when I see you."

I nodded, before quickly walking over to Edward. I didn't even bother to hide my emotions, I was just too happy to see him. I threw my arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his, and I could feel his surprise. But he was quick to hug me back and soon he was kissing me back with such passion that it left me breathless. He was laughing, and his eyes were shining, when he pulled back.

"I take it that Phil is fine?" he chuckled.

"He's more than fine, he's… perfect," I said, and turned to the others, "He knows everything."

Their faces fell and they looked awkwardly at one another before they looked back at me.

"He… knows?" Jasper repeated slowly.

"Yes, he knows. He found out this morning… apparently last night's adventure left him with a lot of questions, because he didn't think it was all in his mind. He confronted me about it, and I couldn't lie so I told him how it was and… yeah, everything," I replied with a big smile on my face, but the others still looked doubtful, "And the best thing is that he doesn't mind me sitting with you guys anymore. Because I made him realize that I need to be here, with you, in order to stop Riley from hurting more people."

They were all quiet and the silence made me nervous. Had I done something wrong? Emmett was the first one to break the silence.

"Well, that's a relief," he said, "Good going, Bella."

"Now we're free to nail that asshole," Rosalie said with a smile.

One by one they seemed to process the news, and they all seemed to relax. They all agreed that it was great news, and the only one, who was even remotely hesitant about the news, when we took the steps up to the school, was Edward. But his hesitance turned out to be about something else.

"How are you feeling?" he asked me quietly, when the others were busy talking amongst themselves.

"I'm feeling fine, very fine," I replied with a smile, "I'm feeling… optimistic. I think we can really do this thing. I think we can destroy Riley."

He pulled me closer to him so he could kiss me on my head, as we walked through the hallways. I wasn't even aware of the stares we got from the entire student body, as we moved through the crowds, with his arm around my shoulder.

"You scared the crap out of me this morning, Bella, you have no idea," he said quietly, "if anything happened to you, I would die… seriously, Bella, I would die."

I didn't tell him that he was being melodramatic, because I knew exactly what he was feeling. I wouldn't be able to live without him, I knew that now. A world without Edward, was a world without me too. There was no life if we could not be together.

"Let's practice tonight, and everything will be alright," I said leaning into him, "And maybe we don't need to be separated when we sleep? Maybe we can catch everything together… when I get a handle on my ability, and hopefully that will be soon… then we can both go after Riley. Two is better than one, right?"

He stopped walking, and turned to me so we were facing each other. He pulled me to him and kissed me, before he looked me deeply in the eyes and replied.

"Two is not better than one… because you and I, we are one."


	21. Fight or Flee

**A/N:** I was tempted to write a chapter on how much I appreciate all your thoughts and reviews… but then I realized that might not make for a good story. So instead I chose to do something I thought you guys might appreciate more; I wrote an actual chapter. Enjoy!

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 20 – "****Fight or Flee****"**

"_**Between the great things we cannot do and the small things we will not do, the danger is that we shall do nothing."**__**  
**_ ~ Adolph Monod

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

To part from Edward to endure an hour stuck in class was nothing I was looking forward too. But at least I could take silent pleasure in the fact that Edward seemed just as reluctant to let me go as I was to let him go. He was pouting like an adorable little child, as we stood outside my first period classroom, and I smiled back at him.

"We managed to be apart for seventeen years, I think we can manage a few hours until lunch," I said to him, and his grip on my waist tightened.

"But that was before I even knew you existed… and now I don't know how to exist without you," he murmured.

"You're cute when you're all pouty," I smiled and stood up on my toes to kiss his pouting lips.

"See you at lunch?" he sighed, when I pulled back.

"If you don't have anywhere a more important place to be," I replied.

"Nothing that comes to mind, no," he chuckled and took a few steps back, "See you later."

He walked off to his own classroom and I followed him with my eyes until he disappeared in the crowd. I walked into my classroom, and plopped down on my seat with a deep sigh. It didn't take long for Jessica to sit down next to me, which was a little surprising, I had expected to sit with Alice.

"You got to be kidding me!" she said to me in an excited voice.

I was startled by her question, and the tone she presented it in, as I looked at her in surprise.

"What?"

"Exchanging spit with Edward Cullen in broad daylight and in a crowded hallway. What is going on?" she asked, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands, as she watched me in anticipation, "Are you guys… like a thing now?"

"Ehh… I… ehh… yeah… I don't know… maybe?" I replied honestly, because I really had no idea what we were. Were we a couple? Were we mainly friends who were on the path on becoming a couple? Or were we simply soulmates?

I wanted to scoff at myself, I wondered how Jessica would have reacted if I told her that Edward was my soulmate. She would probably think I had brought the generic school-girl-crush to a whole other level, and that I was on the verge of becoming a stalker.

"Wow, I must say, Bella, I'm impressed. Neither me nor Lauren have been able to get to him, and then you walk in here, in all your plainness and sway him, kudos to you girl," she said, leaning back in her chair, "But I advice you not to get caught up in anything, I've known Edward for years, and he's not the dating type. He hooks up with girls then he dumps them, and I see no reason to why you would be any different at all." She sounded so sure of herself, and the effect of her words was only slightly diminished by the condescending and evident jealousy in her voice.

"Edward is a good guy, and I like to believe I'm different from all the others," I muttered in my defense, I could not let her kill my buzz and make me question Edward. Especially not now, after we had finally removed the hinder that kept us apart. Edward wanted me, and Jessica was just jealous. At least that was the thought that kept me afloat, and kept me from choking Jessica.

"Oh sweetie, you're so cute," she cooed, "But just because you ate lunch with his friends a few times doesn't mean you're someone special. Besides, they're freaks, and that makes Edward a freak too. Yeah, he's hot and all that and that makes his freakiness okay, but still. I don't want you to get hurt, and trust me when I say that Edward will hurt you."

I looked away from her and looked over at Alice, who sat in her usual seat a few rows in front of us. She looked at us over her shoulder and she had a concerned frown on her face, I guess she had heard what Jessica said.

"No, you trust me, Jessica," I hissed, "Edward and I may not be an official couple… _yet_. But trust me when I say that I'm freaking special. And Edward thinks so too. We have things in common and share something that people like you will never understand."

She glared at me and threw her hair over her shoulder in a nonchalant manner.

"I would never have pegged you to be delusional, Bella," she chuckled humorlessly and rolled her eyes, "And if you're so special, how come you haven't eaten lunch with him and his freaky friends for over a week? They dumped you, right? You were probably too freaky for them, and Edward probably thought so too. So don't come crying to me when he dumps you."

"And you should not expect to be invited to our wedding!" I snapped, and pushed my chair back.

I gathered my stuff and went over and sat with Alice instead. She smiled sadly at me.

"Is Jessica giving you a hard time?" she asked quietly.

"You have no idea," I muttered, "Who knew dating Edward would make me a joke…"

"You're not a joke, she's just jealous," she smiled, and stroked my back in a comforting way, "but speaking of Edward… _are_ you guys like a thing now? I mean, I'm not complaining or anything, and I think you guys are great together… but I guess we were all just surprised when you jumped him in the parking lot and he reacted like it was the most natural thing…" she giggled, "I'm glad Jasper can't see either of you daydream, because I doubt Edward's aren't pg-rated."

Alice laughed as I turned my gaze down, and I felt the familiar heating of my cheeks.

"Yeah, I guess we're a thing… I could like to say we're a couple too, but you know… it doesn't feel like that word is enough to describe what we are. It feels like something more," I replied.

"How long have this thing been going on anyway?" she asked curiously.

"A few days maybe?" I said with a shrug.

"What brought it on?"

She leaned in closer, and I bit my lip and blushed as I remembered how I reacted when I first found out who Edward was. Who he _really_ was, in terms of him being my eternal soulmate.

"You know about the soulmate thing, right?" I asked quietly, making sure nobody around us could hear, but everyone was so caught up in their own conversations that nobody paid any attention to us.

"If you get within range of your soulmate you will see him in your… OH MY GOD!" she gasped, and put her hand to her mouth. I guess we had everyone's attention now, as they stared at Alice. But as she just kept on staring at me wideeyed, they quickly lost their interest and went back to minding their own business. "He's… Edward is your soulmate."

I nodded solemnly.

"I found out just a few days ago… but apparently he's known since my first week here," I whispered.

"Oh my god… I can't believe he never told us, but I guess it all makes sense now. Why he's been so reluctant to help you out and why he kept pushing you away… the bastard was scared shitless," she smiled.

"Yeah, he wants to protect me from all the dangers in the world… but I guess he finally realized that he will probably hurt me even more if he kept trying to protect me. I won't stop until Riley is finished off anyway, it doesn't matter what Edward says. And I'm gonna protect Phil by any means necessary, and I finally made Edward realize that, and we're gonna team up and stop Riley together," I explained.

"Riley doesn't stand a chance," Alice said, bouncing in her seat excitedly, "Riley can't fight you if you have your soulmate by your side. This is like the best news ever!"

I nodded.

"It is… and I can't wait for all this to be over, so I can get to know the real Edward, and not the pissy bastard he wants everybody to think he is…"

"We've all been waiting a long time for him to cross paths with the one girl who would make him human… but who would have thought it would be his soulmate? God, Rose will be so happy when she hears about this. She's been on the brink of killing him forever now for being an asshole, maybe now she doesn't have to," she giggled.

"I sure hope so, I don't think I would ever be able to forgive her if she killed my reason for existing," I replied with a smile.

"She will probably throw you a party, or maybe we should throw you a wedding?"

"Ha ha, very funny," I muttered.

"Don't worry, Bella, this is going to work out better than we could ever have hoped for. We will bring down Riley and his entire coven, and then you and Edward will live happily ever after."

I couldn't help the smile that formed on my lips at the thought.

_Happily ever after with Edward?_ Yeah, I guess that wasn't the worst thing that could happen to me when this was all over, that was a future-scenario I would have no problem to embrace.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I all but ran to my locker to threw in my books and grab my bag of lunch. This had been the longest morning in history, I had no idea how I even managed to get through my classes but somehow I did. I was so lost in thought as I rummaged through my locker that I jumped high when somebody cleared its throat behind me.

I turned around just to see Lauren stand behind me with her arms crossed over her chest, and an annoyed look in her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Lauren hissed.

I was startled by her venomous tone, as I looked at her surprised.

"Looking for my lunch?" I replied in confusion.

"That's not what I'm referring to! It's all over school! What are you doing playing tonsile hockey with that scumbag? You have no idea what kind of diseases that freak carries!" she all but spat at me. I sighed and turned back to my locker.

"Are you talking about Edward?" I asked calmly.

"Of course I'm talking about _Edward_," she said his name like it was poisonous, "or is there any other freak you've made out with recently?"

"Does Riley count?" I muttered to myself.

"Riley James is a great guy! And you're lucky to have him as a boyfriend," she said with such conviction in her voice that I couldn't help but shiver. They really had her brainwashed, that's for sure. I studied her face for a moment, and I felt uneasy by the way she kept looking at me, it didn't even feel like it wasn't Lauren that was looking at me, but Riley. I could almost feel the scrutiny of his eyes radiate from hers.

Since I couldn't take it anymore, I just grabbed my bag of lunch, from my bag, and closed the lockerdoor with my foot, and ignored her as I walked away. Luckily, she didn't follow me.

I turned the corner and ran right into a rock hard chest. A pair of hands quickly shot out and grabbed my upper arms, to keep me from falling. I looked up in surprise and found myself lost in those lovely emerald eyes that could only belong to one person.

"I can't help but think you get into these situations just because you want me to save you," Edward said, smiling down on me. I was so mesmerized by his smile that it didn't even occur to me that he had spoken. How had I ever been able to hate him? He was perfection, inside and out. And he just wanted me to be safe, how could I hate him for that?

I was glad he was holding on to me, or else I would have turned to a pool of goo by his feet, which was surprising me a little, since I never pegged myself to ever be someone who would become so love struck.

"Earth to Bella?" Edward teased, rocking me me a little.

"Sorry," I said, shaking my head to get back to the present.

"No need to apologize, anyone would get mesmerized by this beautiful mug," he said, putting an arm around my shoulder, and gesturing to his face with the other.

I slapped him on the chest and he chuckled.

"Watch your ego, or you might not be able to fit through the cafeteria door," I joked.

"Can you blame me for my ego?" he asked, "I have the most beautiful girl on my arm, I have every reason to have a huge ego. So blame yourself for making it happen, because it's not my fault."

"God, you're so cheesy," I snorted with a laugh and he chuckled too.

As we walked into the cafeteria, the attention we got was nothing short of ridiculous. People actually stepped, the crowd parted like the red sea before us, to give us room, and they all followed us with their eyes like we were some kind of royalty – or like we were had some kind of infectious disease, but something told me it was the former, seeing as they looked at us in awe, and not in disgust. We made it to our table, where the others were already seated and they all looked highly amused by the situation.

"Don't say anything," I muttered embarrassed, and they all snickered.

"Yeah, it's all good that you and Edward finally got together, but c'mon, we have serious business to attend to," Rosalie said and waved the topic, of me and Edward, away dismissively with her hand, and for that I was thankful. I don't think I could have handled more talking about me and Edward, especially not when Edward was present.

"Okay, so what do we know?" Jasper asked, since he was ever the strategist he wanted all the facts he could have in order to make up a good game plan.

"We know that we have something they don't," Alice replied smugly looking at me.

"Yeah? And what's that?" Emmett asked confused.

"We have _soulmates_," she replied.

Edward shot his eyes to me and I gave him an apologetic look.

"You told her?" he hissed.

"Sorry! It just slipped… out," I blushed.

I looked down on my lap, and I could feel the others eyes on me, and when I looked up I saw both Rosalie and Jasper look at us in surprise. Emmett didn't look surprised at all, he just grinned widely at us, I guess he had figured it out already after my hijacked dream.

"Oh my god… no wonder you were trying so hard to hate her, bro," Jasper laughed, breaking the silence, "And I guess this changes everything. This is awesome!"

"Awesome because we've found our other half, or awesome because this will make it easier for us to destroy that bastard?" Edward retorted and gave Jasper an irritated look.

Jasper's smile faded, and he looked lost for a moment, as he scratched his head.

"Eh… both?" he guessed, and Edward shook his head.

"Wrong answer, dickhead," he muttered.

"Oh c'mon, Ed, you can't act like this doesn't make things easier for us," Rosalie sighed, "Yes, it's great that you've found your other half, the only half in this universe who will ever put up with your crap I might add, but it still doesn't change the fact that we have a bigger issue at hand, an issue that will be more easily handled thanks to this turn of events."

Edward scoffed, and I shook my head at him. Sometimes he really didn't make any sense to me.

"Okay, whatever, can we get on with it? Let Edward brood all he want," Alice sighed.

"Okay, well, last night Edward taught me a few techniques in catching, and we're gonna try them out tonight, and I don't know how long it will take for me to get a handle on things, but hopefully soon enough," I explained, "and I really need you to keep an eye out for Phil, because now when I've become Riley's enemy too, I'm sure he'll go after Phil. And I can't really ask Phil not to sleep, just because Riley might hurt him."

"What about Lauren? What should we do about her?" Rosalie asked, "I've been sensing a lot of turmoil of power coming from her today… one moment she's weaker than a shell, and then the next she's growing power, like she's trying to fight the shell… I don't even know how to explain it, I've never felt anything like it before."

"That explains her daydreams," Jasper said, frowning, "I still see darkness, but during the classes I've had with her today, I've seen glimpses of the type of daydreams she used to have…"

"And that's good, right?" I asked, leaning forward in anticipation.

"I honestly have no idea," Jasper replied with a sigh, "I've never come across it before."

Edward squeezed my hand under the table and I looked over at him, he was smiling softly at me.

"It's you," he said quietly

"What's me?"

"You attacked Riley… he let his guard down, then you attacked him… and that must have weakened his power because he wasn't prepared for it. You managed to get him off Phil's back, and that must have weakened the hold he had on Lauren, and it let her push a little more out of the shell…" he explained, still with that quiet voice.

Nobody said anything for a few moments, as they all let that theory sink in.

"Makes sense…" Alice finally said, "I think you're on to something there, Edward."

He smiled crookedly and nodded.

"That proves our theory on what will bring him down," Rosalie said, "If you can attack him again, preferably kick his fucking ass to hell, maybe that will be enough to bring Lauren out of it."

"I thought we had to kill him?" I asked, cringing at the thought of having to kill another human being.

"If it had been only Edward, then yeah, I think he would have to kill him. But with your ever growing power I think it will be enough to kick him down a notch," Rosalie replied.

"But what will keep him from going at it again? And hurt other people?" I asked.

We all glanced at each other as we all contemplated the question.

"Maybe we shouldn't… take any risks," Emmett said, "Maybe you should just kill the bastard."

"And make Bella a murderer? Yes, that sounds like such a good idea," Edward scoffed.

"He's an evil guy, he deserves it… right?" I said quietly, almost pleading for him to agree with me.

He turned his head to me, and pierced me with his gaze, and at a moment's notice the rest of the world disappeared, and nothing mattered anymore. All that mattered was Edward.

"You are not a murderer, Bella," he murmured.

"I will do what I have to do to keep the people I love safe," I replied.

He raised his hand and tucked some hair behind my back and then let his hand linger on my cheek, I leaned into his touch and he smiled crookedly. The electricity that flowed from his hand to my cheek was so potent, and very addictive. I wondered if he could feel it too.

Something in his eyes made me think so.

"And I will do what I have to do to keep_ you _safe," he replied quietly, "I will not risk your soul."

I smiled sadly at him.

"And I will not risk yours, what's your point?" I asked.

"I don't know," he sighed and pulled back. The loss of his hand felt more than it should, and I already missed the electricity. The more I touched Edward, the more I felt him, the more I craved him. And that could not be a good thing, it could not be healthy to be so addicted to another person. Soulmate or no soulmate.

"Jasper, what's wrong?" Alice asked alarmed, bringing me out from my stupor. We all looked over at Jasper, who was squeezing his eyes shut, and Alice stroked his back gently with a concerned look on her face. But as I watched Jasper I realized he wasn't in pain, like he usually was, instead he looked like he was…

"Are you fighting a laugh? What's so funny?" I asked.

He opened his eyes and his eyes shone in amusement, Alice's concern was wiped off her face and she slapped him playfully on the arm.

"Shame on you, don't scare me like that," she chided him.

"Don't blame me, blame Jessica Stanley," he said, hiding the oncoming chuckle with a cough.

We all turned to look at Jessica, who was sitting next to Lauren at Phil's table. She was looking into space with a frown on her face.

"What's she dreaming?" Emmett asked curiously.

"Apparently she's the one Edward should worry about," Jasper said, and Edward shot his eyes to him.

"What does that mean?" he asked confused.

"You said you were worried about Bella, well, I don't think Riley is the one who's gonna kill her, not if Jessica has a say in it," Jasper replied with a pointed glance.

"She's daydreaming about killing Bella, and you think that's funny?" Edward snorted.

"Yes, I do. Because she dreams about killing Bella… and then you come over to her, sweeping Jessica off her feet and kissing her senseless and thanking her for getting Bella off your back."

Edwards jaw dropped, and Emmett burst into laughter. I felt my cheeks flush, while Alice and Rosalie just shook her head.

"Seriously, I don't understand what the hell these girls see in you, you're disgusting," Rosalie said wrinkling her nose, before she looked over at me, "No offense, Bella."

"None taken," I replied with a smile.

"You can't help who turns out to be your soulmate, and I'm sure your taste would be a hell of a lot better if you weren't stuck with this piece of crap," she said gesturing to Edward.

"Geez, Rose, thanks." I rolled my eyes.

"But then again… you fell for Riley, so I guess your taste was crap even from the get go," she continued with a teasing smile.

"She didn't fall for Riley, he tricked her," Edward all but growled, and I looked at him in surprise.

"No, Edward… I really did like him… I've had the biggest crush on him forever. I've never felt like that about anyone except him…" I said, feeling oddly vulnerable as I admitted to it. He cocked his head to the side and stared me down, it felt like he was trying to get into my mind through my eyes.

"Never?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"Never."

"Well that's good to know, thanks," he huffed, and pushed his chair back.

"Hey, where you going?" I asked confused.

"Why would you care?" he muttered before stalking off, and I turned back to the others.

"What the hell was that?" I asked, hoping they would know since they knew him better than I did, "His mood swings are beginning to wear me out."

"I might not agree with Eddieboy on most issues, but I think I'm with him on this one," Rosalie smiled.

"That doesn't answer my question, Rose," I said, gritting my teeth in frustration.

"I don't think it was such a good idea to tell your _soulmate_ that you've never felt that way about anyone, except your common enemy," Jasper replied with a patient tone.

I was confused. What the hell was he talking about? Why would it matter to Edward if I've had crushes on other people or not? It wasn't like he was all pure in that area either, especially not with his womanizing reputation.

"Why would it matter to him?" I asked, voicing my silent question.

They looked at each other like I was stupid, and it frustrated me even more.

"Bella, c'mon… think about it…" Emmett said, winking.

And I did just that. I thought about it. Why would it matter? Did Edward want me to crush on other people, was he indeed disgusted by the thought of having me as a soulmate, that he wanted me to crush on somebody else and leave him the hell alone? Or was he maybe upset with the fact that I had only had one crush in my entire life – and that was with Riley? Was he maybe… jealous?

"Bella, you told him you've never felt like that with anyone, except Riley. And Ed probably thought you felt more for Riley than you do for him…" Alice explained quietly.

My eyes widened at the thought. That was the reason Edward left? But that was absurd! The way I felt about Edward wasn't even close to being a crush, and therefore I would never even compare the two. I _love _Edward. And there was no "crush" about it. It was pure love, and not a fleeting crush. How could he not know that? And when I said I had never felt that way, for anyone except Riley, I was talking about crushes. And not this life-altering love. Edward was different. _How could he not know that?!_

"I'm an idiot," I stated simply and pushed back my chair, "I'm a freaking idiot."

"You go girl, go get your man!" Emmett cheered.

I glared at him, and Rosalie smacked the back of his head.

"Thanks Rose," I said to her and she just gave me a nod, smiling.

I quickly left the cafeteria. Although I had no idea where to even begin to look for Edward, I felt a tugging in me which dragged me in the direction of the parking lot. And I had no choice but to follow it.

I walked out, through the main-entrance, and as soon as I spotted the silver Volvo in the parking lot I also noticed the bronze mess of hair inside. I smiled softly to myself, as I quickly descended the stairs, down to the parking lot and walked over to the car.

I raised my hand and knocked on the window, and he jumped in surprise as he turned his head to me. I waved softly at him and I could see him sigh. He opened the door and I took a step back as he stepped out.

"I'm sorry," I blurted as soon as he was out of the car, "What I said… I didn't realize how that sounded like to you."

"Yeah? And how did it sound to me?" he asked, frowning.

"I made it sound like Riley was special to me, and that I've never felt so strongly about anyone ever," I replied softly, taking his hands in mine, "When in reality, I just meant I've never had a crush on anybody except him…"

He sighed deeply and looked away, I could tell he was still not getting what I was saying.

"Edward, look at me, please," I said, and he reluctantly turned his head and looked down on me, "I can't compare what I feel about you and the silly crush I had on him. Because what I feel about you is not a crush… this is something totally different, something so much stronger… this is…"

"Love…" He breathed the word so quietly that I wouldn't have caught it if I wasn't so aware of everything about him, and I felt myself blush at that simple word, that described everything and nothing about us.

"So it would be an insult to even compare the two of you. Because what the hell is a crush in comparison to what we have?" I replied with a soft smile.

A smile tugged at his lips and I smiled wider in response. He left my grip of his hands, and put his hands on my hips instead and pulled me closer to him, and I wrapped my arms around his neck automatically.

"Yes, it would be insulting to compare me to Riley, in more ways than one, and you have no idea how…" he trailed off and frowned, "… jealous I am that you even felt that way about him in the first place… even before you knew he was evil."

I twirled a lock of his hair round my finger and smiled sadly.

"And how do you think I feel about you and all your conquests?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow at him, "And how do you think I feel about Tanya? The epitome of beauty? How can I ever compete with someone like that?"

"You forget that she's evil too…" he sighed.

"Yeah? And if she wasn't? Would that make a difference?" I prompted.

"Yeah, she might be beautiful, but with her personality, or lack there off I should say, she's nothing more than a mannequin. And who would ever want to be in a serious relationship with a mannequin?" he asked with an amused smile, but his answer wasn't really satisfying. He still implied he would be with her, if only she changed her personality…

I frowned and tried to take a step back, but his grip on me was too strong.

"Bella, I wouldn't willingly be with her even if she had a personality, because she isn't you," he said while he tried to dazzle me with that crooked smile of his. But I wouldn't let myself be dazzled, so I just snorted at him.

"Yeah right," I muttered, looking away from him, "You're only with me because you're stuck with me. If I wasn't your soulmate you'd be running away from me quicker than I could say 'crush'."

He sighed and turned my head gently so I was looking at him.

"You have no reason to be jealous. You are an amazing girl, you know that? You risk you life to protect the ones you love. You're brave, intelligent, fearless, amazing and fucking beautiful. How could I ever want anyone but you?" he asked gently.

"Now you're just saying that because I'm mad at you," I muttered.

"Silly Bella," he chuckled, and put his hands on either side of my face, he leaned down and kissed me, and I was too stupid to protest and too addicted to his lips, and touch, to even try to resist. He sucked gently on my bottom lip and I whimpered at the feeling.

"I love you Isabella Marie Swan, you have no idea how much," he whispered against my lips.

My eyes shot open and I stared at him in amazement. Did he just say what I think he did?

"Wha… what did you just say?" I croaked.

"I love you, and it doesn't matter if you would be one legged freak with green hair and weighed five hundred pounds… I would still love you, and only you. And you don't need to worry about Tanya or anyone else. Because I am yours. Now and forever," he replied.

I felt my eyes well up by his confession and I felt so stupid for ever doubting him. Yes, he might act like an asshole at times, and yes, his moodswings might not always make sense to me, but he was my moody asshole. And mine alone.

"I love you too Edward Cullen," I whispered back, and pressed myself against him and met his lips once again.

_Take that, Jessica Stanley._


	22. Preparations

**A/N:** It's been an unusually long time since the last update, and for that I'm sorry, I guess I just got caught up in my other story there for a while. But now we're back and it's time to catch some bad guys.

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 21 – "****Preparations****"**

"_**They have not wanted Peace at all; they have wanted to be spared war -- as though the absence of war was the same as peace**__**."**__**  
**_ ~ Dorothy Thompson

* * *

"_Take a deep breath and concentrate," _Edward said with a soothing voice, _"And visualize it just like I told you." _

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, and I tried to visualize my brother and sense for his presence, where he was, and what he looked like. After a moment I opened my eyes, and I frowned when I found myself looking back at Edward.

Edward was sitting in front of me on the meadow, with his hands in mine, smiling softly at me as he was trying to teach me how to control my ability. But so far, no luck.

"_I can't do it,"_ I muttered, "_Why can't I do it?"_

"_You're stressing too much. Just relax. You're stiff as a board,"_ he said, rubbing circles on my palms with his thumbs. I smiled softly at him and tried again.

I took another deep breath and closed my eyes, and I did my best to relax and visualize, but I didn't get anywhere, no matter how much I tried.

"_It doesn't work!" _I complained.

"_You sure about that?"_ he said with a smile in his voice.

I slowly opened my eyes and blinked a few times. Edward was smiling back at me, but I scarcely noticed, because I was too baffled at the fact that he no longer was in the meadow, with the forest behind him, but in some kind of crowd, with hundreds – maybe thousand – of people surrounding him.

I looked around, without dropping Edward's hands and I felt my mouth twitch into a smile.

"_I did it!" _I said, and jumped in excitement.

"_Yeah you did,"_ he said smiling.

I looked for Phil and found him standing a few feet away. He was jumping up and down and waved frantically at someone, with his back to us.

"_What do you think he's doing?"_ I asked Edward.

"_I don't know…"_ he replied with a shrug.

"_Should we get out of here?"_

"_Try to visualize someone else,"_ he agreed.

I took his hands again and closed my eyes. I didn't really think of who to focus on, my thoughts went automatically to Lauren. And not a moment later I felt Edward squeeze my hands.

"_We're here,"_ he said and I opened my eyes again.

I blinked several times, thinking it was something wrong with my eyes, but it turned out it wasn't. We were simply stuck in this darkness, and when I looked down I could see Lauren curled up on the ground, she being the only thing visible in the darkness – apart from Edward.

"_He's really broken her," _I said quietly and Edward nodded.

"_Yeah, but there's nothing we can do about it right now," _Edward replied_, "C'mon, let's go back to the Sanctuary."_

I nodded and closed my eyes, doing the visualizing thing again, and when I opened my eyes I found us to be back in the meadow. Edward smiled gently at me and I sighed.

"_You're a natural," _he said assuring_, "I honestly didn't think you would be able to make it this soon."_

"_Soon? Are you kidding? We've been doing this for almost a week now, that's not soon,"_ I sighed.

Edward pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me.

"_You're doing great, love, don't put too much pressure on yourself,"_ he whispered in my ear.

Too much pressure? Yeah, too late for that now, isn't it?

We had been practicing my ability every night for a week now, and this was the first time I ever managed to take us out of the Sanctuary. Edward insisted that I was doing great, and that it took time to master it, but that wasn't really comforting, since my family was in danger.

Riley and I had officially become enemies, and we had had a few run-ins during the week – but none of them had been in our sleep, they had mainly been at the mall. He was still working at Music Mania, and lived his life like nothing was wrong, and he was yet to bother Phil again. That was kind of disconcerting, the longer Riley went without hunting dreams, the more nervous I became.

He was preparing something big, I could feel it, and that was why I wanted to master this ability as soon as possible, before he got a chance to hurt anybody.

"_You don't have to worry, Bella. Rose said she didn't feel any rising power in Riley when she went by the mall today…"_ Edward said, and I scoffed.

"_That doesn't prove anything, just because he doesn't have any rising power doesn't mean he's not up to something. He's strong, Edward, he doesn't need more power, he's been draining enough from Lauren,"_ I sighed.

"_But Lauren is coming back, remember? If anything, he's beginning to lose power instead," he_ said, sounding sure of himself.

Yes, Lauren was coming back. Jasper had been seeing more and more of her daydreams, though most part they were still lost in darkness. And Rosalie was still overwhelmed with the weird power turmoil inside of her. But at least Lauren wasn't dying anymore, we had figured that much. So our concern was mostly with Phil now, because we knew Riley would go after him, it was only a matter of time now.

Tanya was on the warpath too now, from what I had been told, she hadn't taken the news about me and Edward very well, especially not since Edward didn't even bother to "break up" with her properly. He hadn't seen her at all since he left that party with me, two weeks ago, so she was beyond pissed at the moment. Rosalie said she had seen her at the mall with Riley, and that was another cause for concern for us, since Tanya had no reason to be in Forks in the first place. Yeah, she was friends with Riley – but why come all the way to Forks just to visit him at work? It made no sense…

They were definitely up to something.

"_Why don't we call it a day and do something else?"_ he said, giving me his most dazzling smile.

"_Yeah? And what would that be?" _I asked innocently.

"_Oh, I think I could think of something,"_ he smirked.

He pulled me down on the ground, so I was laying on my back, and he lay on his side, propping his head up on his hand and smiling as he looked at me. I raised my hand and dragged my fingers through his soft hair.

"_It's amazing how your hair feels in here…"_ I said, and he chuckled softly.

"_Are you saying my hair doesn't feel good in the real world?"_ he asked.

"_Way to twist my words, "_ I sighed.

He smiled and leaned his head down and pressed his lips to mine.

His hands moved down to my waist and he pulled himself closer to me, so my body was pressed against his, and I let my hands travel up to his hair, tangling them in his soft curls. He opened his mouth slightly, and dazzled me with his delicious breathe and I automatically opened my mouth to breathe in, so his scent would be forever etched inside of me. He took that as a sign, and darted his tongue out and I was right with him, meeting him halfway. I pressed my body closer to him, and gripping his hair tightly in my hands, making him moan in pleasure.

I smiled against his lips and pulled him over, so he was laying on top of me. He leaned most of his wait against his arms on either side of me, as to not crush me under him. Even though I don't think he could in this place.

This was mostly how our practices ended. We spend some time, trying to get me to master my ability, and when we had had enough, we make out until one of us woke up.

I guess there were worse ways to spend the night.

Although the kissing was amazing, and I loved the way Edward let his hands roam my body and the way he looked at me like I was something precious and valuable, I still couldn't relax enough to enjoy it fully.

Phil was still on my mind. And I don't know about you, but I rather not think about my brother when I'm making out with my boyfriend.

Phil had been acting kind of weird for the past week, ever since he was attacked by Riley in his dream, and he found out about me, and what I could do. Phil was jumpy and easily distracted by anything, and he didn't really talk anymore. And he kept touching and rubbing his throat obsessively.

At first I thought he was just in shock, because that would have made sense, since it was a lot to take in. It's not every day you find out your sister can see your dreams, so it was only natural for him to be a little weird about it. But as the time went on, I realized it wasn't about that at all, he was being weird for some other reason.

And that was why it was impossible for me to relax, and it was probably the reason why it took so long for me to succeed with catching a dream by choice. I kept getting distracted, and I could never fully relax.

I sighed and pulled away from Edward, he groaned and rolled down on his back.

"_Let me guess…. Phil?" _he sighed. I smiled crookedly, and knew I didn't need to answer, he already knew what I was going to say anyway.

That was another thing that turned out to be pretty interesting with this whole soulmate-situation – we could read each other like a book, and we were always aware of the other person. No matter if we were together or not, we could still sense each other and get a glimpse on how the other person was feeling. Edward could sense my anxiety about Phil, and that was probably why he kept trying to distract me, but never fully succeeding. And he knew how bad I was feeling about the whole thing, and that was why he never gave me grief about it.

"_Something is wrong, I can't… I don't know what I'm supposed to do,"_ I sighed.

He stroked my arm in silence, and he furrowed his brow, signaling that he was lost in thought.

"_Do you want to try something… different?" _he asked, looking at me.

"_That depends… different how?"_ I asked unsure.

"_I thought… we've been going about this the wrong way," _he said, his eyes lightning up.

"_What do you mean?"_

"_We've been focusing on Phil, and what he's been dreaming… shouldn't we be focusing on Riley instead? He's likely in someone else's dream right now, drawing power and getting his strength back, and as long as he's not in his Sanctuary, then we should be able to sense him and go for him," _he said standing up, before pulling me to my feet too.

"_But is that even possible? Can we really sense him? He's not really in a dream until he gets involved, right? And if he gets involved, Emmett would know, right?" _I replied.

The excited light in his eyes went out and he frowned.

"_Yeah… maybe I didn't think that through…"_ he sighed.

"_You're just tired,"_ I said, stroking his arms and standing up on my toes so I could press my lips to his.

"_Are you looking forward to tomorrow?" _he asked with a small smile, and I nodded.

Tomorrow we were going to Alice for another sleepover, and I was really looking forward to it. I hadn't really seen any of them outside of school at all during the week… but I guess that was my own fault, since I couldn't stand to be separated from Edward. We spend almost every waken and sleeping moment together now, and you would think we would get tired of each other, but we weren't, on the contrary actually. The more I hung out with him, the more I wanted him, and the closer I felt I needed to be.

It was an overwhelming to feel so strongly about a person, especially since I had no experience in being in a relationship or being in love for that matter. I was putting all my happiness on him, and he was holding my fate in his hands. And the only one able to destroy me completely was him. He was holding my heart, and he could do what he wished with it.

But I trusted Edward. And I knew he would never hurt me.

"_Rose mentioned you're still growing in power… and she thinks that we're strong enough to destroy him now. She thinks we should do it tomorrow, or else he might be catching up again," _Edward said with a sigh.

"_If she's sure about that, then yes… I guess the sooner the better anyway right? I'm tired of being this anxious all the time… worrying about Phil and Lauren and… I don't know… you too, I guess. I'm afraid he'll get to you…" _I said with a sad voice and he cupped my cheek.

"_Don't worry, love, I'll kick his ass before he gets his hands on mine,"_ he replied.

"_You think he wants his hands on your ass?"_ I said, trying to joke, and he chuckled.

"_Silly girl,"_ he said, leaning down to kiss me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and he lifted me up, so I could wrap my legs around his waist.

"_I love you,"_ I sighed.

"_As I love you," _he replied, _"And don't you worry. I won't Riley hurt you or anyone else. He'll be stopped. I promise you."_

I hummed against his lips and smiled sadly.

"_Don't make promises you can't keep," _I whispered.

* * *

I looked sadly over at Phil, he was sitting at his usual table in the cafeteria, with his arm around Lauren's shoulders. They both looked pretty content and Lauren turned her head so Phil could lean down and kiss her cheek, she smiled widely at him and he gave her a weak smile in return.

Ever since Phil found out that Riley was targeting Lauren, he had been nothing if not overprotective about her. And it didn't take long for them to be established as a couple – which of course annoyed the hell out of Jessica. Not only did Jessica lose out on Edward, now she had lost out on Phil too.

But still, not even Lauren could bring Phil out of whatever funk he was in. And I guess he wouldn't be back to normal until Riley was out of the picture.

Phil lifted his hand and rubbed his throat again, like so many times before, and I frowned. He looked so lost.

"You okay?"

I jumped at Edward's sudden voice, and gave him a meek smile.

"Yeah, I'm just worried about Phil… he's doing that throat thing again," I sighed.

I turned back to my own table and I slumped in my seat.

"Jazz, what is he thinking?" I asked, looking at Jasper.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and flinched a few times – probably because of the immense flood of daydreams that were invading his senses as he opened up fully to his ability – before he opened his eyes and shook his head.

"He's not daydreaming," he said softly, "He's just deep in thought."

"Thanks anyway," I sighed.

Edward trailed soothing circles in my neck with his thumb, and I gave him an appreciative smile.

"You said you saw something last night, Em," Edward said, referring to when we met up with our friends in the parking lot earlier that morning, and Emmett said he had seen something, but never got a chance to elaborate.

"Yeah, Riley was up and at it… and then some. Shit the guy was on a fucking mission or something," Emmett said, shaking his head, "Though I could only see him with Lauren, I still got a few glimpses of other visits of people unknown to me…. probably people in Port Angeles. I don't know… I didn't think my ability stretched that far."

"That means we really have to stop him tonight," I sighed, and they all nodded.

The tension was tangible at our table after that. Riley had to be stopped, and it was up to me and Edward to do it. And if we failed, the blame would be on us. Emmett could help us to track him down, but that was it, as soon as we found him we would be on our own.

I looked at Edward, and found him already looking at me.

"Remember what you promised," I said to him quietly.

"Don't worry. I'll die before anything happens to you," he replied and stroked my cheek with his finger. I smiled sadly and closed my eyes.

"Someone is going to die tonight, I can feel it…" I whispered to no one in particular.

"It won't be any one of us, you have nothing to worry about, we can do this," Edward said soothingly.

I don't know why he even bothered to lie, he knew I could feel his anxiety too, and that he was apprehensive about tonight. He didn't know how things were going to end more than I did.

"If it comes down to it… don't sacrifice yourself for me, alright?" I said quietly, so only he could hear me. His jaw tensed, as he clenched his teeth, and he looked away. I smiled sadly at the sight, because I knew he would never agree to such a thing. He would never let me take the fall.

"I can promise you the world… but not that," he murmured, looking the most vulnerable I've ever seen him.

"There are only two ways this thing may end tonight," I said, "Either he dies, or we both die. In no scenario will only one of us live." He gazed into my eyes, and ever so slowly he nodded.

"I'll follow you into the dark," I whispered.

"I'm counting on it."

* * *

Alice was braiding my hair. Yes. You heard me. I let Alice use me as her own life-size Barbie, and now she was mutilating my hair, and had this been any other night I would never have let her do it. But tonight was different, we all knew that. For all we knew this could be the end of us.

Alice was going all out to pretend this night was different, and that nothing would change once we went asleep. But I don't think anyone bought it.

"Do I look good?" I asked Edward, who was sitting on the couch next to Jasper.

"You always look good," he replied, with a crooked smile.

"Even in braids?" I asked doubtfully.

"Especially in braids," he said seriously, and I rolled my eyes.

"Who would have thought we would see the day when Edward would kiss up to a woman, man, you're so whipped," Emmett chuckled, from where he sat in the loveseat with one arm around Rosalie, and one hand flipping through one of Alice's dads car-magazines.

"I'm not whipped," Edward said defensively, and Emmett proceeded with giving him a look, "I'm NOT!" Edward repeated, sounding quite aggravated, which of course only led to Emmett laughing.

"It's not a bad thing, man, c'mon, relax a little why won't ya," he chuckled and Edward rolled his eyes, and looked at me. When I met his gaze I smiled, because I could see in his eyes that he knew that Emmett was right. If someone had told me three weeks ago that I would be the one to "whip" Edward, I surely would have laughed in his or her face too.

"All done!" Alice exclaimed, letting go of my hair.

"Finally," I said, leaving the chair and walked over to the mirror in the hall. I wrinkled my nose and shook my head at the sight.

Alice had spent two hours on braiding my hair, and now it was filled with braids in different sizes, both thick and thin. And it looked nothing short of ridiculous.

"You're such a liar, Edward," I called to the living room.

"Why would you say such a thing?" he asked, walking out from the living room.

He stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, and rested his chin on my shoulder. I met his gaze through the window and tilted my head to the side.

"I do not look good," I stated, and he chuckled.

He turned his head so he could kiss my neck and I leaned back my head a little and closed my eyes.

"You always look good… hideous braids and all," he murmured against my skin and I smiled.

"Do you think the braids will follow us into the dreams?" I asked, "Maybe we could distract Riley with them… he'll probably laugh his ass off and then we can attack him, and he won't know what hit him…"

"But he can't see you, remember? He can only see me," he replied with a soft sigh, still with his lips against my neck, trailing the skin with small kisses.

"Oh yeah…" I said, frowning, "What about braiding your hair then?"

"Don't get any ideas," he muttered and gave my skin one last peck before pulling back.

We looked at each other again, through them mirror and he gave me a sad smile.

"You are scared," he said, making it a statement and not a question.

"He's gonna hurt my brother, of course I'm scared," I sighed.

He nodded and unwrapped his arms from my waist, and took my hand instead. He raised it to his lips and kissed my knuckles.

"Riley will not get away with this, don't worry," he said softly.

"I really want to believe you…" I said quietly, as I followed him back to the living room.

When we came back into the living room, the others were already sitting on their mattresses with their respective others. This time there were only three mattresses on the floor, since there was no reason for me and Edward not to share one.

"Come on, Bella, let's leave the boys to fend for themselves for a while," Rosalie said grabbing my hand, and led me back to the stairs. I pouted at Edward and he just smiled at me, not even trying to save me from her.

Alice followed us up the stairs, and we went into her room. She closed her door behind her and went into her closet. I sat down on her bed and watched as she went through her massive amounts of pajamas, in order to find what to wear for the night.

"You and Edward are really serious now, huh," Rosalie said, sitting down beside me.

"I guess that's a side-effect of the whole soulmate thing," I joked meekly and she laughed softly.

"Nah, I don't think so… I bet you guys would have ended up together anyway. But maybe the soulmate thing made it happen a little quicker than it would have otherwise, and maybe you guys fell for each other a little harder too because of it," she said with a shrug.

"So have you guys said the big L-word yet?" Alice asked, from inside her closet.

"How do you know we're even in that place yet…" I asked, trying to avoid the question.

"Because it's obvious that you are so freaking in love with each other. And that you're not just 'seeing where it's going' just because you're soulmates," she replied.

I sighed deeply.

"Remember last week in the cafeteria? When we had that… misunderstanding?" I asked.

"When Edward thought you loved Riley and not him?" Rosalie said with an amused smile.

"Exactly… well, in the parking lot afterwards, when we made up… he kind of let the particular word slip out," I all but murmured.

"What? He said it first?" Alice shrieked from the closet and shot her head out, staring at me.

I was startled by her reaction, and nodded unsurely.

"Yeah…?" I said slowly.

"Wow… I guess he has changed more than we thought," she said in amazement, before getting herself lost in her closet again.

I looked down on my hands in my lap and smiled softly to myself. Alice was right, Edward had changed a lot during the past few weeks. He was nothing like the guy I first met when I came back to Forks. He was not an arrogant jerk anymore, he was nothing short of loving. And the most amazing thing is that he doesn't even look at other girls at all anymore – trust me, I've would have noticed if he did.

Our relationship was growing into something fantastic, and though I trusted him enough to tell him everything, there was still some things he would never speak to _me _about. He never spoke about Angela. I had tried to get the whole story out of him, but he would never budge. He just changed the subject, like I hadn't even asked in the first place. Only once or twice had he become so upset with me asking him, that he lashed out and yelled at me, though he apologized directly after, and I guess he knew that was the most effective way to make me drop it, because I hated it when he yelled at me, even if he didn't mean it.

I guess I would have to live with the overall story I've been told already – that he tried to help, but couldn't, and that he blamed himself for what happened, because he thought he was the one who drained her and indirectly caused the accident.

But I wanted details – I needed details. Because if I knew the whole story, that might just be enough to give us the edge in our fight with Riley. And yet, Edward denied us that edge.

I was interrupted in my musings, when I was hit in the face by something soft. It fell down in my lap and I picked it up confused – and when it held it in front of me I realized what it was. Lacy lingerie.

"Put it on," Alice called from the closet.

"This? It doesn't even cover my butt!" I protested.

"I don't think Edward would mind," she giggled from the closet.

I rolled my eyes and stood up, walking over to the closet. Rosalie was still lounging on the bed.

"Why aren't you throwing anything at Rosalie for?" I asked, looking in the closet at Alice. She smirked at me.

"Because Emmett has already seen her in everything and nothing, and I assume Edward has yet to see you in anything less than jeans and a t-shirt," she replied simply, and I blushed at the thought of having Edward see me in anything less than just that, especially in this sorry excuse for clothing. "So go and put that on. Trust me, you'll thank me later."

I should have argued, but for some reason I locked myself in her bathroom and changed. And when I looked at myself in her mirror, hanging on the bathroom door I felt myself blush a million shades of red.

_There is no chance in freaking hell that I'm going out like this._

Especially not considering Edward wouldn't be the only one seeing at me in this.

It was a lacy pink thing, with spaghetti straps, it was almost see-through, and I had been right when I said it would barely cover my butt. God, what was Alice thinking?

"How does it look?" Alice giggled from the other side of the door.

"I'm not wearing it," I replied, "I look like a stripper."

I quickly removed it and put on my own clothes again. When I opened the bathroom door, Alice was standing on the other side, holding out something blue to me. Rosalie was laughing from the bed and Alice had to press her lips together in order not to laugh too.

"It was a joke, Bella, I never thought you would actually put it on," she said smiling, "This one is more like your style. Honest."

I rolled my eyes at her, and grabbed the blue fabric from her hands and threw the pink lazy thing in her face, before I closed the bathroom door.

I held out the blue nightdress in front of me and smiled, she had been right this time though. This was more like my style. It was a knee-length nightgown, and though it also had spaghetti-straps it didn't look skimpy. The fabric was soft and when I moved it, it made it appear as though the blue was water. It was tighter over the chest, and then it hang loosely down to my knees. It was beyond beautiful.

I took off my clothes, and pulled the dress over my head. What I then saw in the mirror made me smile. The blue really brought out the color of my skin. And I would have looked good if my hair wasn't such a mess, the braids were really ruining the overall look.

When I left the bathroom I saw that Alice and Rosalie had changed too – Alice was dressed in a black two-part satin pajamas, and Rosalie was dressed in a gown similar to mine, only that it was white and went down to her ankles.

Who would have thought I would ever be the one with the smallest piece of fabric on me?

We went back downstairs to the guys, they had also made themselves ready for bed, and they were all waiting for us under the covers already.

Edward smiled at me, as I entered the room, and held up the blanket so I could curl down beside him. He pulled me to him so my back was flat to his chest.

"I assume I'm thanking Alice for this one," he murmured against my neck.

"You should have seen what she first picked out," I muttered, "Joke or no joke…"

He chuckled and I froze when I felt his hand on my knee under the covers, and he let his hand slowly travel up under my dress and he touched my naked thigh.

"Eh… Edward?" I said and he hummed against my skin, "What are you doing?"

"Just showing my appreciation," he replied with a smile.

I grabbed his hand and stilled it.

"Not really the place and time for that now, is it?" I said, turning my head a little so I could see him. He sighed and pulled back his hand. I could feel the apprehension roll off his body, and I knew this wasn't about him showing his "appreciation", as he called it, for what Alice had done, but because he was afraid. He was beginning to think this would be the last time we saw each other alive, and the more apprehensive he became about the situation, the more nervous I got.

"Okay, I'm going to sleep now," Emmett said, "I'll track that bastard down and I'll let you know."

He made himself comfortable, and Rosalie sat beside him, stroking his hair and his cheek. She was smiling softly at him, and he had a soft smile too on his lips as he slipped into unconsciousness. I guess it was a good thing that Emmett had the ability to fall asleep on demand. My head was spinning, and my mind was too hyper for me to be able to fall asleep quickly, so Alice had prepared some mild sleeping pills for me, just strong enough for me to relax a little, so I could fall asleep quicker.

Alice curled up next to Jasper, and they laid there murmuring softly to each other. I looked over at Rosalie, who was still looking at her sleeping teddybear of a boyfriend, the look of pure love in her eyes could not be fabricated. She really loved him. And I was glad that no one of them were at risk of getting themselves killed tonight.

"What are you thinking?" Edward whispered in my ear.

I turned so I was facing him. He had his head propped up on his hand and he smiled sadly at me as he met my gaze.

"I'm afraid," I admitted quietly, "I don't know what I'm supposed to expect…"

"Don't worry, everything will be okay," he said, trailing my jaw with his finger.

"You don't know that… besides… how are we really going to stop him anyway? Are going to have to kill him? And how? Am I supposed to stab him or something?" I asked exasperated, and I was on the verge of sounding hysterical.

He gripped my chin firmly and looked me straight in the eyes.

"I have no idea, honestly," he said quietly, "But I have a feeling we'll know when we get there."

He pressed his lips to mine, and there was an urgency and desperation in the kiss that I was not familiar with, and it only added fuel to the terrifying fire that was already burning inside of me.

A moment later we were interrupted by Emmett who sat straight up in his bed, staring wildly around him, panting like an animal.

"Calm down, baby, it's alright…" Rosalie said soothingly, rubbing his arms.

But Emmett paid her no attention, instead he was staring right at me and Edward. The pain was obvious in his eyes, and I was scared of the words that was about to leave his lips.

"He's with Phil. He's not wasting any time. You better get there. _NOW_!"


	23. Lost Energy

**A/N:** I'm so sorry for the ridiculously long wait, but what can I say? Apparently I have a life offline too (who would have thought, right?) and I had a bad case of writer's block (still do).

This chapter is a little short, I know, but I figured it was better than nothing considering the long wait. Hope you like it despite the shortness…

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 22 – "****Lost Energy****" **

"_**Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live."**__**  
**_ ~ Norman Cousins

* * *

I was holding on to Edward's hand as if my life depended on it. The sleeping pills, along with the comfort of having Edward so close, made it possible for me to fall asleep fairly quickly. When I opened my eyes again, I was looking into Edward's, he was smiling softly at me, and I realized we were still holding hands, and he was rubbing my palms soothingly with his thumbs.

"_I was wondering when you would show up,"_ Riley taunted, and I turned my head to the voice.

We were standing in the middle of a large field, surrounded by high mountains and trees. Phil was standing just a few yards away, his arms crossed over his chest and a cocky smile gracing his lips. Phil was pacing around behind him, he was looking confused, but oddly calm at the same time, and I wondered what Riley had done before we got there…

"_If we had known you were waiting for us, then we would have come sooner," _Edward replied calmly. Riley looked in my direction, and cocked his head to the side.

"_You say 'we', does that mean you brought the girlfriend?" _he asked, glancing at Edward curiously. My grip on Edward's hand tightened, and he gave me an assuring look. Riley noticed this of course, and he chuckled darkly. "_I take that as a 'yes'." _

"_If you were even half as powerful as you think you are, then you would have been able to tell if she was her or not, without having to ask," _Edward replied, with a small satisfied smirk gracing his features. I gave him an irritated look; this was so not the time to piss Riley off. But Edward just chuckled at my expression, which irritated me even more. _"He can't see you, love, that means he can't stand a chance. He cannot fight what he cannot see."_

A growl emitted from Riley, and we both looked at him again. He didn't look laid-back and cocky anymore, but simply pissed off.

"_Don't underestimate me, Cullen. It could be the last mistake you ever make," _he growled, and Edward shook his head softly, not letting any threats get to him. And I couldn't understand how he could be so calm about this, while I was freaking out.

"_I wouldn't dare,"_ Edward replied simply.

I let go of Edward's hand, and took a few steps forward. Edward tried to stop me, but I shook his hands off. Riley saw this and chuckled darkly to himself.

"_If the girl wants to challenge me, let her," _he said, and Edward narrowed his eyes.

I walked past Riley, and aimed for Phil, I needed to make sure he was okay. I glanced over my shoulder too look at Edward, and I smiled softly when I saw that he was not looking at me, and that he was pretending that I was still standing next to him.

I carefully placed a hand on Phil's shoulder, as to not startle him, but somehow I did that anyway, because he jumped in surprise, which of course brought us to Riley's attention.

He turned around and looked at Phil.

"_What's that Phil? Is someone bothering you?" _Riley asked, and cocked an eyebrow questionably.

Phil looked down on me and I smiled softly at him, and took his hands in mine.

"_Are you okay?"_ I asked him quietly, hoping my voice would not carry to Riley. Phil nodded softly.

"_Are you aware of what's happening?" _I continued and he nodded again, "_I promise you that I won't let him hurt you…"_

"_Don't make promises you can't keep." _The words were barely audible, but they still managed to stir something in me. I frowned and glanced over at Edward. He was still not looking at me – but somebody else was.

"_Bella, Bella, Bella… what are you trying to pull here?" _Riley asked, he almost looked cross-eyed when he tried to look right at me, but failing since he couldn't actually see me.

"_I think the question is… what are you trying to pull," _Edward replied in my place.

Something shifted in Riley's eyes just then, and I instinctively put myself in front of Phil, in a weak attempt to protect him from whatever it was Riley would do.

I looked over at Edward and silently asked him with my eyes what I should do, Edward smiled softly at me, giving me a pointed look and nod. I frowned in confusion, and then he did it again. I wanted to ask him what he wanted me to do when it struck me. _Of course._

I turned back to Phil and put my hands in his.

"_Wake up, brother, this is not the place for you right now. Wake up," _I whispered eagerly to him.

He cocked his head to the side and looked at me like a confused puppy.

"_Wake…up?" _He sounded so confused, and I wondered if he really was aware of what was going on after all. But that turned out to be the least of my problems, since Riley turned to us, his eyes absolutely livid. I shook Phil violently. "_Wake up!!!" _I was yelling in his face now, not caring that Riley could hear me, because it didn't matter since he already knew what I was doing.

Riley stalked over to us, and I furiously kept on shaking Phil, pleading him to wake up. Riley came closer, and I shook Phil harder as I kept throwing glances over my shoulder to see where Riley was. Then he reached us and raised his arms, ready to grab Phil…

When Phil simply disappeared right in front of our eyes, and Riley's hands grabbed nothing but air.

"_Big mistake…"_ he hissed.

I didn't like to have him within such close proximity, so I quickly took a few steps back.

He looked around wildly, I first thought he was looking for Phil, but then his eyes fell on me. And not just in my general direction. But _on_ me. The way he looked at me made it obvious that he could really see me this time, and that he was not just pretending.

He smirked and chuckled darkly.

"_That was real stupid," _he said, turning so he was looking at Edward, "_Your girl is really stupid."_

Edward narrowed his eyes, and walked over to me, slowly shaking his head.

"_I think you have her confused with someone else,"_ Edward replied, crossing his arms over his chest, and placing himself between me and Riley.

"_Oh, she is," _Riley chuckled, "_She just hijacked the dream."_

He said this like it was the most hilarious thing he ever, and I gave Edward a confused look, and I felt my stomach drop when I saw the serious look on his face. Something wasn't right…

"_She's being drained of energy as we speak, and she doesn't even realize it," _Riley smirked.

Edward tensed in front of me, and Riley chuckled.

"_This will be too easy…"_ he said.

I blinked and he was gone.

"_Where did he go?"_ I asked Edward, and we both looked around frantically.

"_Why? You miss me?"_ A voice said by my ear, and I froze.

Riley put an arm around my waist from behind, and grabbed my throat with the other. He pulled me back and Edward turned around, his eyes widening when he realized what just happened.

"_If you as much touch a hair on her head, I'll fucking kill you," _Edward growled, but made no attempt on helping me out, I could tell he was trying to assess the situation and find a weakness in Riley's defense.

"_Why are you doing this? Why can't you just leave us alone?"_ I asked, my voice shaking in anger.

"_Because you were supposed to be mine,"_ Riley spat, his voice close to my ear, "_You and I were supposed to be together. We could have had something beautiful. But you couldn't leave well enough alone, and had go get involved with the one person I can't stand…"_

"_I was never yours,"_ I replied icily, "_I've belonged to Edward since the day I was born."_

"_Yeah, I bet," _he snorted, "_but all I want now is what's inside of you… you're quite the energizer-bunny, aren't you?"_

His grip on my throat tightened, and it was so tight that I could just barely breathe, and I could almost feel the energy, the power, leave me, and myself growing weaker. I was sure Edward could sense this, because his expression became impossibly more pained, and I could tell he had no idea what to do. Riley has the upper hand here. It would take very little for Riley to hurt me – maybe even kill me - in the time it would take Edward to try anything. And Edward knew this, that was why he was still standing there, just staring at us.

"_Let her go… I'll do anything… just let her go," _Edward pleaded, not able to disguise the desperation in his voice, "_This is between you and me. It always has been. So please, let her go."_

Riley chuckled and shook his head.

"_No, Eddieboy, this won't end that easy for you. This is only the beginning…" _

The grip on my throat was impossibly tight now, and I could see black spots in front of my eyes. I wondered what would happen if I passed out right there and then… was it even possible to pass out in a dream you hijacked? I guess I was about to find out.

Edward took a step forward and I shook my head as furiously as I could, considering the current circumstances with Riley's death grip on my throat, pleading Edward with my eyes to stop. But of course Edward wasn't listening.

"_This is between you and me, let her go. Now," _Edward said, almost growling.

But of course, Riley didn't even flinch, he just kept on chuckling like this was some big joke to him. And it angered me to no end. I tried to wriggle myself out of his grasp, a wasted effort, I know, but I had to try.

I met Edward's gaze, and it was like something shifted in his eyes just then. They became dark, distant and his whole demeanor changed. He reminded me about the cold and dark Edward I had first come to know in Forks. And I was afraid of what would follow.

"_Edward…"_ I said, the word barely a whisper. He cocked his head as he looked at me, there were no emotions all in his eyes, and it scared me.

"_Let her go. Last warning, Riley," _Edward said, his voice menacing and dangerous.

"_Yeah? Whatcha gonna do about it?" _Riley mocked, gripping to me even tighter, making the black spots appear even bigger in front of my eyes, I was beginning to feel pretty faint by now, and if Riley wasn't holding on to me so tightly I would have sagged down to the ground.

And that was exactly what I did, when his arms around me suddenly disappeared from around me. I looked up in confusion, and saw that Edward was gone too.

I took a few cleansing breaths, trying to gather the energy back that Riley had robbed from me, but was interrupted by furious growls and shouts. I turned my head to the sound, finding Riley and Edward moving in what would appear to be a synchronized dance done in fast-forward, but I knew it was a deadly fight.

_Someone is going to die tonight._

I tried to stand up, but it was impossible, my legs were too weak. So I could do nothing but look at them, and hoping that Edward was winning. But as far as I could see, there was nothing indicating who had the upper hand.

Growls, punches and ripping noises echoed in through the field and they began to move faster and faster, up until the point when they were nothing but a blur to me.

I tried to take proper breaths, gather back my strength so I could join the fight and help Edward to put an end to all this. After a moment I managed to get back up on my wobbly feet and I slowly wobbled over to the area where they were.

"_Bella, stay away!_" Edward growled, but I could not see where he was, his shape was merely a blur as it passed me in an insane speed.

"_I can help!"_ I replied, and the noise of Riley chuckling echoed through the field, making it sound like thunder.

"_I think I dodged a bullet here, Edward, she really is a stupid one…"_ Riley said, and Edward replied by growling loudly and then another thunder-like noise echoed through the field when I saw the two blurry shapes collide.

Then it all went eerily quiet.

I didn't realize I had closed my eyes at the last thunder, so when I opened my eyes again I was shocked to see that I they were no longer moving at the speed of sound. My stomach twisted into a knot and I had a hard time breathing.

Edward was standing very still, looking down on the unmoving body of Riley. Edward's shirt was ripped in pieces, but otherwise he appeared to be fine.

I slowly stepped over to him and looked down on Riley. His eyes were closed and he too seemed otherwise fine, though his shirt had also seen better days. I guess blood could not be spilled in dreams.

Edward put an arm around my waist and pulled me to him. He kissed me on the top of my head and I took a shaky breath.

"_Is he… is he… is he…?"_ I stuttered, not able to finish my question.

Edward frowned and shook his head.

"_I wish," _he sighed quietly, "_if he was then he would have disappeared…"_

I wrapped my arms around Edward's waist, and hid my face in his chest.

"_We should get out of here, before he gets back…"_ he murmured.

"_We need to finish this, Edward, we can't let him go on…"_ I replied.

Edward's chest rose as he sighed and then he took a step back, and I unwrapped myself from his arms.

"_Get out of here, Bella, I'll take care of this," _he said seriously, not meeting my eyes, _"I don't want you to see it."_

"_But… Edward… I can't just leave you," _I said, pulling at his arm to make him look at me.

"_Go, Bella. Please, for me?" _he pleaded, still not looking at me.

I took a shaky breath and bit my lip. A thousand questions were running through my head.

What would happen if Riley woke up? What if he was just faking it? What if something happened to Edward when he killed Riley? Since I was the one who hijacked the dream, what would happen to Edward when I left? What if Edward somehow got lost? What if I lost the reason for my existence?

"_Edward… I can't," _I whispered.

"_Go, now! I won't ask you twice," _he said, his voice harsh and leaving no room for argument. He finally looked at me then, and his eyes were cold, dark and emotionless. I could not argue with those eyes. He did not want me here, he did not want me to witness this, and I was not going to force my presence on him. He was just trying to protect me. I knew that.

"_Okay…"_ I whispered.

I closed my eyes and did my usual routine in order to wake up. I tried to ignore the uneasy feeling in my stomach, as I left the dream. Something told me I should stay behind, no matter what he said. But I could not argue with him. I just couldn't.

I opened my eyes and found myself staring up at the ceiling in Alice's living room.

"Bella," Alice breathed in relief and squeezed my hand. I sat up slowly and looked around the room. Alice was sitting beside me on the mattress, holding my hands and smiling gently at me. Jasper was watching me from their mattress, and Rosalie was sitting next to Emmett's sleeping form, stroking his arm and not tearing her eyes off of him.

Alice noticed me looking and squeezed my hand again.

"Emmett is watching," she explained, "He knows he can't do anything, other than wake up and warn us to wake you up if something happened…"

"Edward…" I whispered, and turned on the mattress. Edward was lying on his back, his face contorted in a frown and the sight pained me to no end. I wanted to help him. Why would he not let me help him? We were in this together, damn it.

"What happened?" Alice asked.

"I managed to wake Phil up… which evidently made me hijack the dream and Riley could see me…" I sighed, not tearing my eyes off of Edward, "And they got into a fight… Edward asked me to leave… he didn't want me to see him end it all."

"He'll be okay. Edward always lands on his feet," Alice said reassuringly, but it did nothing to calm me down, since I could hear the slight uncertainty in her voice.

Edward stirred in his sleep and mumbled something, at the same time as Emmett flung his arm out – almost hitting Rosalie in the process – with a low growl emitting from him. I looked at Alice and I could see my shock being mirrored in her face.

"Something is wrong," I said and she nodded, "I should go back."

"No!" Rosalie all but shouted, looking at me for the first time since I woke up.

"What do you mean 'no'?" I asked incredulously.

"I'm saying that you're weak, okay? Whatever happened when you hijacked the dream drained you, I'm surprised you're even able to sit up right now," Rosalie replied seriously, "And if you go back there you will drain the little that is left in you and there is no way of knowing if you will ever wake up then…"

"But what about Edward?" I asked, and she sighed, looking back at Emmett.

"Edward can fend for himself, he always has," she replied simply.

Emmett moved his arm again, but not as violently as before, followed by a whining noise. Edward was breathing deeply and the frown was even more pronounced now.

"Something is wrong," I said quietly, mostly to myself, "I can't just sit here and do nothing."

"Bella, you can really hurt yourself," Alice said and I nodded softly.

"I know… but Edward is more important," I replied, "How would you feel if it was Jasper?"

Alice looked over at Jasper, who smiled sadly in response.

"I guess I see your point…" she sighed and stood up, "Let me get you the pills."

She walked out into the kitchen, and was soon back with a glass of water and a couple of sleeping pills. I gave her a grateful smile and swallowed the pills with a deep gulp of water, before laying back down on the mattress, curling up beside Edward and closing my eyes.

I tried to force myself to fall asleep, using the techniques that Edward had taught me, and tried to use them along with the affect of the sleeping pills.

"You're gonna get yourself killed…" Rosalie said, her voice sounding faraway.

"I know…" I murmured in reply, I was not able to form the words properly, with my body so close to sleep, "But it's for… Edward…"

I felt my body plunge, like I was free-falling, and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to get familiar with the feeling, and hoping it would end soon.

I didn't dare to open my eyes until the feeling of falling had subsided, and when I did I gasped. Somehow I had expected to find myself back in the field, but instead I was met by the beautiful sight of the meadow of the Sanctuary. I was confused for a moment, until I remembered what Rosalie had said. _I was drained._ No wonder my ability immediately took me here. The Sanctuary was the only place for me to really recover, and I probably wouldn't be able to go anywhere even if I wanted to. I had to wait for a moment, get refreshed, and then concentrate on leaving.

I paced back and forth, while waiting for the refreshing feeling of being reenergized. But nothing came. I felt just as drained as before. And there was nothing I could do about it.

But maybe, just maybe, I had just enough power left to get back to the field. As long as I could make it there, it would all be okay. At least that was what I kept telling myself; that all I needed to do was to see Edward.

I sat down on the grass and took a few cleansing breaths.

I visualized Edward, his soft bronze hair, his deep soulful, emerald eyes and beautiful face. I tried to picture myself with him, his arms around my waist and my hands in his hair. I could almost feel his soft lips against mine and his breath on my face.

There was a tugging feeling in my stomach, something was pulling at me from faraway, but every time I tried to give into it, the pulling stopped. And when I opened my eyes, I found myself still sitting on the grass, in our Sanctuary.

Every time I failed at giving in for the pull, I could feel myself grow weaker. The energy boost that the Sanctuary provided was used up quickly, and it felt like I was running in circles. I never got strong enough to get out of there, and the way I kept pushing myself made it impossible for me to ever get to the right energy level.

I gave up on trying finding Edward. It didn't matter how much I tried, I would not get there, and I had to accept that.

I lay down on the grass and closed my eyes. I could not feel the usual flow of energy, it felt so much weaker, almost non-existent, and it was beginning to freak me out.

Riley had done something to me when he grabbed me, and that would explain why the flow of energy was so weak.

I sighed and tried to let everything go and just relax, which of course was easier said than done, when your soulmate needed you, but you had no way of getting there and help him.

Suddenly, I felt myself being shaken violently.

I opened my eyes, half-expecting to see Edward, but saw nothing but the starry sky above the meadow.

"_Bella, please… wake up… c'mon… please…"_ The voice echoed through the meadow, and I smiled sadly when I recognized it. It wasn't Edward. It was Alice. And I knew that if she was trying to wake me up like this, she had bad news to deliver. And I wasn't entirely sure that I was ready to face whatever it was she had to tell me.

But what if something had happened to Edward?

I squeezed my eyes shut, and let myself be shaken back to consciousness. Alice sighed in relief when I opened my eyes and looked up at hers.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice slightly hoarse.

"Where were you?" she asked, "Rosalie said your power was all over the place, one minute you gained some, then all of a sudden it all went out again…"

I sighed and sat up slowly, my head was spinning. Or was it the room?

"Edward… we have to wake him up," I said, "I tried to get to him but it was impossible. We need to wake him up!"

Alice looked away from me, and I looked at the others in confusion. It was then I realized that Emmett was awake too, he was sitting on his mattress with a sad look on his face, and Rosalie was rubbing his back soothingly.

Emmett looked at me and for the umpteenth time that night, I felt my stomach drop.

"What happened?" I asked him, and he sighed, hiding his face in his hands. "Is he okay? Is Edward okay? What happened to Riley? Did Riley do something?" I shot the question at him at lightning speed and Emmett groaned into his hands. "For the love of God, can someone tell me what is going on?!"

"Riley woke up, he grabbed Edward and they… disappeared. I don't know where they went, I couldn't follow… he was just… gone," Emmett said, his voice muffled by his large hands covering his face.

"What do you mean gone?" I asked, being on the verge of hysteria.

I turned to look down on Edward, and this time his face said nothing of his current situation. There was no frown, no pain. It was just… blank. I grabbed his shoulders and shook him as violently as I could - considering my weak state.

"Edward! Wake up! Edward!" I yelled and shook him with all my might.

Alice put her hands on mine and stilled my movements.

"It's no use… we've tried to wake you both up for over three hours," Alice said quietly.

I looked at her in surprise.

"Three hours? How is that even possible? How long was I out for?" I asked confused.

"You've been out for four… but then Rose began to feel that weird power thing, and we decided it was time to bring you out… you were really out of it," she sighed.

I looked down on Edward's sleeping form and bit my lip. This was not good. This was Riley's doing, I could feel it. I tried to find some comfort in the fact that Edward was at least breathing, and that he did not seem to be in any pain. But I had a feeling that that was a weak comfort.

"Rose… what are you sensing from him?" I whispered, without looking away from my soulmate. I stroked his cheek, and smiled sadly to myself. He was so beautiful…

It took me a moment to realize that Rosalie never answered me, so I turned to look at her and she looked pained as she met my gaze.

"Rose?" I said tentatively, and she shook her head.

"I sense nothing."


	24. Leaving Love

**A/N:** To begin each A/N with an apology seems to get a little too familiar now, so I think I'll drop that, and hope you can just forgive me anyway for letting you guys wait so long again.

This chapter was hard to write, and I never got the proper inspiration. But I'd like to think it turned out okay anyway. It took a different turn that I first planned, but I think this works better than the original plan.

The next chapter is already in the works, and if all goes according to plans, it will be up by Sunday or Monday at the latest.

Enjoy!

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 23 – "****Leaving Love****" **

"_**Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.**__**"**__**  
**_ ~ Albert Einstein

* * *

I stared at Rosalie like she had grown a second head.

"What do you mean you sense nothing? How can you sense nothing?!" I asked furiously.

Alice tried to calm me down by stroking my back, but the gesture only irritated me further.

"I don't know what it means," Rosalie replied, with a slight wavering of her voice, "I've never encountered it before. But he's breathing, right? He's still alive. I don't know why I can't sense him, or why your power was all over the place just moments ago."

"But what about now? Is my power alright?" I asked, hoping that there might be a way for me to put some of my power back in him, just enough to make him wake up.

But Rosalie squished those hopes like a bug when she shook her head.

"No, it's not, you're still weak," she replied, looking at me apologetically like it was her fault all this happened.

"Maybe we should take him to his parent's house… his dad is a doctor after all. He should know what to do when a person can't wake up," Emmett chimed in from his place next to Rosalie.

We all agreed on that, and the girls and while Emmett and Jasper carried Edward's unconscious body to the car, we girls quickly changed out of our nightclothes. And just a few minutes later, we were on our way to Edward's house.

The streets were empty as we drove, and the clock on the dashboard showed that it was barely four a.m, when we reached his house. I almost felt bad for waking his parents up at this ungodly hour, but considering the circumstances I had no doubt that they would be more than understanding. For all we knew Edward might never wake up again.

_Don't go there, Bella, that's never a good way of thinking…_

Emmett carried Edward effortlessly to the porch, and Jasper knocked loudly on the door. The sound echoing through the silent night.

We could see lights turn on, on the second floor, and a few moments later we heard shuffling behind the front door, the lock turning and the door opening. Dr. Cullen looked surprised and confused when he spotted us, but it was quickly replaced by concern when he saw his son's limp body in the arms of Emmett.

"What happened?" he asked, stepping aside so we could walk in, "Was there an accident? Why didn't you bring him to the hospital? Have you been drinking?"

He sputtered out the questions like any other concerned parent would have, and there was no sign of the confident Dr. Cullen we all knew and loved. He was nothing but a father right now, and it scared me. What if he was unable to help Edward because he was too distracted because of his own concern for his son?

Emmett walked into the living room and lay Edward down on the couch. Dr. Cullen was by his side instantly, shining his small flashlight - which he had, from the looks of it, fabricated from nowhere – in Edward's eyes.

"What happened?" he asked again, even more concern lacing his voice now.

"We were… he was… well… Bella?" Emmett stammered and I shot my eyes to him. Was he serious? Was he going to pin this on me? Dr. Cullen turned to me and the pain in his eyes made my heart ache.

"Bella? What happened?" he prompted.

"We were trying to stop a dreamhunter… we managed to overpower him, and Edward told me to leave and wake up… he didn't want me to see him finish him off… but he never woke up," I whispered, looking anywhere but at Dr. Cullen.

"Are you out of your mind? Whose brilliant idea was this?" he asked, outraged.

"With all due respect, Dr. Cullen," Alice said, "But the dreamhunter was after Bella's brother, and he would have killed him if they hadn't intervened."

"And how long has this been going on?" he asked, looking at each and every one of us.

"Not long…" I replied, gnawing on my lip to the point where I almost broke the skin.

"You should have come to us with this. We could have solved the situation without having to resort to killing people," he sighed, and began examining Edward again, by checking his pulse and breathing.

"But you wouldn't have been able to help much now would you," I blurted before I could help myself. Dr. Cullen looked at me and frowned, I knew he knew what I meant. But the others did not, and that explained their confused faces.

"He's right, Bella," Jasper said tentatively, "We should have… they could have helped."

Dr. Cullen sighed and shook his head, he looked lost in thought for a moment before shaking his head again, letting go off whatever thought he was having.

"You kids should go home, there isn't much you can do for Edward right now," he sighed.

"I'm not leaving," I said instantly.

"Bella, I'm sure your parents would not agree with you spending the night at your boyfriend's house," he said, and I wanted to snort at that.

"My parents thinks I'm at Alice's, they wouldn't even know I'm here," I replied.

He looked at me with tired eyes and I just glared back. He had to knock me unconscious and drag me out by my hair before I willingly left Edward's side.

"Besides, we're connected. I can probably help him more than you could," I added and I could see in his eyes that he was giving in. I tried not to gloat.

"We'll leave though," Alice said, "Please call if there are any changes or if he wakes up." I nodded and she gave me a tight hug. "He's going to be okay, Bella, don't worry."

"That's easier said than done," I replied softly and she kissed my cheek before letting me go.

As soon as the front door closed behind them, the house became eerily quiet. Dr. Cullen was back to crouching next to the couch, flashing the light in Edward's eyes again.

"What's the verdict?" I asked. Dr. Cullen shook his head.

"I honestly don't know," he sighed, standing up, "His breathing is normal, as is his pulse, and his pupils react just the way they're supposed to. As far as I can tell, he's simply asleep."

"If that were the case, then he would have woken up by now with you flashing that thing in his eyes, or when Emmett bounced his body around like it was a sack of flour," I muttered.

He sat down on the armrest of the couch and clasped his hands together in his lap.

"So why don't you tell me the whole story," he said with a tired sigh.

I sat down on the floor, leaning my back against the couch and taking Edward's limp hand in mine.

"I might as well take it from the beginning…" I sighed.

* * *

I told Dr. Cullen the whole story, at this point Esme had come downstairs too. I told them both all about Riley, my brother, Lauren and Edward. Neither of them said anything until I had finished my story, Esme had tears in her eyes by then and was gripping on tightly to Dr. Cullen's hand.

"I can't believe you kids thought you could handle this on your own," Dr. Cullen sighed.

I shook my head and braided Edward's unmoving fingers with mine.

"What would you have done if we had come to you? It's not like you could have made any difference, you have no power… it's not in your blood," I said quietly, hating myself for bringing that sensitive subject up.

"We might not be his birthparents, but that doesn't mean we don't know what you're doing," Dr. Cullen said almost angrily, "Esme is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to this. She has read the books left by his mother, time and time again. She can recite them in her sleep, and she knows more about this than any one of you. And if you had even bothered to come to us with this, then she would have been able to tell you what to do."

"Yeah? And what would that have been, huh?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, and resisting the urge to slap him or something. Dr. Cullen might be an authority figure, but I was not appreciating the way he kept patronizing us, as if we were nothing but a bunch of stupid kids that didn't know up from down. "I mean no disrespect, Dr. Cullen, but I like to believe that we had a fairly good idea about what was going on and what we needed to do about it."

"From what I understand, you thought the only way out was to kill Riley James, correct?" he asked, and I nodded hesitantly, "There is your first mistake. You didn't need to kill him."

"He's right," Esme said, smiling softly at me, "You could have stripped him from his power and that would have been the end."

"But that's only a temporary solution," I protested, "All he needs to do is to go back to his Sanctuary and he would be fully loaded within hours."

Esme shook her head and it made me confused.

"He can only re-charge if he has any power left to begin with. If he were to be totally drained he would lose all his powers, and he would become just a regular person without a gift," she explained, and I felt all the blood rush from my face.

Riley would lose his gift if he was drained… Rosalie sensed nothing in Edward.

_Oh, dear God!_

"Rose… Rose said she couldn't sense anything from Edward…" I stammered, "Does that mean he… he drained him?"

Esme shared a look with Dr. Cullen, and I could tell that this wasn't good news. And she didn't need to answer me out loud for me to realize that my worries might just be correct.

Edward was drained. Powerless. And he had just become an even easier target for Riley, and there was no doubt in my mind that Riley would kill him. Riley had no moral, no sense of right and wrong. And he would not care that Edward couldn't defend himself, since it would only make it easier for him. Riley was in this to end us both, and he knew that he would end me by killing Edward.

He had us right where he wanted us. I would not have been surprised if Riley had just faked it when he lay unconscious on the field after the fight with Edward.

It was all just a part of his master plan.

He was a freaking evil mastermind. And we all had underestimated him. He was smarter than we ever gave him credit for. We should have known it would not have been this easy to destroy him.

I don't know what I was going to do, there probably wasn't anything I _could _do at this point. But I couldn't just sit around and do nothing either. So I closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep, but I guess Dr. Cullen realized what I was trying to do, because he gently kicked my leg and I opened my eyes.

"Don't even try it, Bella," he said, smiling gently at me, "You're only going to harm yourself."

"I need him to wake up…." I said, my voice cracking in an embarrassing way. I needed to be strong, and not become a sobbing mess in front of my future in-laws. Yeah, you heard me. _My in-laws_. I was planning on marrying Edward one day. I would have his babies. And we would live happily ever after. Riley would not succeed with his plan. Not as long as I was alive to stop him.

"If… and this is a big if, Bella… but if Edward is drained, there could be hours, maybe even a day or two, before he wakes up. It's a huge trauma for a Dreamcatcher to lose his or her powers, and it will take a while for his body to recuperate," Esme said gently and I frowned. I didn't like what she was saying. I didn't like the word trauma. Nothing good ever came out of that word.

"When he does… will he still be himself?" I asked, and in my mind I pleaded for her to nod her head and tell me that he would wake up the same guy he was when he fell asleep. Just without his gift. But she didn't nod. She just sighed deeply and looked even sadder than before.

"It varies from person to person, but sometimes some people can forget things connected to their gifts," she replied.

"Like… relationships?" I croaked, with my throat closing up on me.

"Yes, like relationships," she granted with a nod.

I bit my lip and looked at Edward. His face was so relaxed, and it was impossible to think that a fight for life and death was probably going on in there. And it was impossible to believe that when he opened his beautiful emerald eyes again, he might not recognize me. He might not know who I am. He might not know that I was his soul mate. That we were destined to be together. Forever.

He might not even like me when he woke up.

It was that thought that pushed me over the edge, and the tears welled up in my eyes, and fell down my cheeks. I tried to keep my breathing under control, but it was impossible with the hysteric sobbing that threatened to overwhelm me.

I was tired and drained (though not in the same sense as Edward) and this was all becoming too much for me.

Esme sat down beside me and stroked my tear drenched cheek with her thumb.

"Maybe you should get some rest… and don't try to search for Edward. I will only harm you and leave you tired and weak. Edward needs you to be strong for him. And you can't take care of him until you take care of yourself," she said, her voice filled with nothing but love and concern for both me and her son. I nodded half-heartedly and she smiled softly at me, before looking up at her husband. "Carlisle, you think you can carry your son up to his room?"

"I can if I have to…" he said with a forced chuckle.

Esme and I left the floor and stepped aside so Dr. Cullen could lift Edward up. He gave us a breathless chuckle and I could see that carrying Edward was not as effortlessly for him as it had been for Emmett.

"He's no baby no more," he joked and Esme rolled her eyes.

He walked over to the stairs, Esme and I followed him within a safe distance behind him.

"I guess you regret giving Edward a room on the third floor now, huh," I said, trying to lighten the mood.

"You have no idea," Dr. Cullen replied with a chuckle.

It took longer than it would have, if Emmett had been there, but we finally made it up to his room, and Dr. Cullen lay Edward down on the bed.

"You can stay here with him," Esme said, "But no funny business!" she added, pointing her finger at me in mock scolding. I felt myself blush, even though she was only joking, and she laughed lightly at my reaction, before taking her husband's hand, "Let's leave them be, you need your rest too," she said to him and he nodded.

"Good night, Bella, and don't hesitate to come down to our room if you need us," Dr. Cullen said, "Our room is the second door on the left on the second floor."

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen… for not forcing me to go," I said and he smiled softly.

"For the umpteenth time, call me Carlisle," he said and I blushed again, "And I know it's nearly impossible for you to be apart, I should have known better than to ask you to leave."

I looked away and felt my cheeks grow warm, and they left the room with a final "good night" and closed the door behind them. I sighed and walked around Edward's bed and lay down on my side, so I could watch him sleep.

Yes. _Sleep._

That was what I was telling myself that he was doing. Nothing out of the ordinary at all. He was simply sleeping. And not fighting for his life at all…

It was nice, albeit still a little weird for me, that Edward's parents were so understanding with our relationship. It was as if I was closer to his parents than I was with my own, considering that Edward's parents knew all about my gift and the special bond I shared with Edward. They knew why we had grown so close in such short time, and they knew why it hurt us both if we were kept apart.

We were totally dependent on each other now, even when we were unconscious.

And luckily, Edward's parents got that, and let me stay even though it went against all good parental guidelines.

I had a hard time thinking that my parents would have been equally understanding if this had occurred under their roof. They knew nothing about my gift – Mom was still in denial – and they knew absolutely nothing about my relationship with Edward. They were both still under the impression that I was dating Riley for Christ sake.

And if they ever found out that I spent the night (or at least the very few hours that remained of the night) at Edward's – and in the same bed at that – they would most likely forbid me from ever seeing him again. But they could try all they wanted to keep us apart, but they would never succeed. We would always find away to get to each other, even if it meant sneaking around.

My parents should count themselves lucky though, that they didn't have to get involved in this mess.

I stroked Edward's cheek and felt the familiar flow of electricity between us. I hoped that would never go away. And if he woke up tomorrow, with no knowledge about his gift, I still hoped he would know me. What we shared was so much more than just our gifts colliding. We were soul mates. We were forever. And it would take much more than losing a gift to make any of us forget about that.

He could not forget me. It was not possible.

"I love you, Edward," I whispered, and pressed my lips to his, and as soon as I did, I could feel what he was feeling again. We were connected in our special way and I smiled despite of everything.  
I could sense anger and frustration roll off of him, as well as sadness and despair. All were feelings I did not want him to have.

"I love you, don't you dare forget about me…" I whispered against his lips, before kissing him again. The lack of response from him did nothing to hinder me from pressing my lips to his over and over again. I didn't care that he probably wasn't even aware that I was there, let alone felt my kisses.

Tears was rolling down my cheeks again, but I didn't care about that either.

All I cared about was the beautiful boy next to me, and how much he meant to me.

I felt my eye-lids grow heavy, and I tried my best to resist the sleep, but I came to a point where that was impossible. I clutched one of his hands in mine, and closed my eyes.

"I love you…" I said again, before sleep overcame me and dragged me into the darkness.

* * *

The Sanctuary felt cold and dark without Edward, but I tried to find comfort in the fact that it was _ours_. Nobody except Edward and I had ever stepped a foot inside this place. This was our haven, and the whole area screamed for his presence, and it almost hurt to be there alone.

I lay down on the grass, and closed my eyes.

The power surging through me was a little off, the way it filled me didn't feel natural, and with each wave of newfound energy, it felt like some more was taken away.

One step forward. Two steps back.

As if I was being drained in the one place I should be able to feel safe.

I relaxed as much as I could, and took a few deliberate breaths, hoping it would help with the energy. And it did, sort of. The way the power entered me still felt off, but at least I wasn't being drained at the same time.

With each new wave of energy entering me, my entire being told me to sense for Edward. To find him and save him. To save us. And I had to use all my strength not to give into the temptation.

I tried to distract myself by thinking of other stuff, but that turned out to be a waste. Because every thought led me to Edward in one way or the other. Even the most farfetched topics could lead me back to Edward.

_World War Two. _

Edward mentioned once that he liked history, and was especially interested in the world wars…

I sighed and dragged my hands through my hair, not even able to appreciate how soft it felt here.

There was no use in trying to distract myself. Why would I, anyway? I could spend the rest of my life thinking about Edward, and never get anything done, and I still would die a happy woman.

I felt myself being re-charged, and the pull from before was back. I could sense it, even though I wasn't trying. I could sense _him_. And the pull was so strong, and it took a lot of effort for me to not give into it.

"_Bellaaa…"_

That was Edward's voice! And I almost laughed in relief by the mere sound of it.

"_Don't come… here… don't… come… here…"_

I span around, hoping he was there, but I saw nothing. His voice kept repeating those three words. Don't. Come. Here.

He didn't want me to give into the pull. But why? Was he in such danger that it would hurt me if I tried? Or was he just trying to protect me in that stubborn way of his?

His voice disappeared, and the silence that followed was deafening.

I couldn't just stand there and do nothing anymore.

But I could not go after him. It would only harm us both in the end, I knew that. Damn it!

I began pacing back and forth trying to come up with something I could do. The pull was ever present, and growing with each passing second. The more energy I gained, the stronger the pull became, and it reached a point where I couldn't ignore it anymore.

I stopped pacing and sighed desperately. I couldn't ignore it. I had to give in.

"_I'm so sorry, Edward,"_ I whispered, and closed my eyes.

It was easier than I thought to give into the pull. As soon as I relaxed, I felt my body plunge, and I squeezed my eyes shut as my stomach dropped. It felt like I was riding a rollercoaster, and I had no sense of what was up and what was down.

It didn't take long for the feeling to subside, and when I opened my eyes I frowned.

I looked around, taking in my surroundings, and to be honest; it wasn't much to take in.

I was standing in a small room, three out of the four walls were gray and dirty, and the fourth wall consisted of steel bars. It took me a moment before I realized what the room was supposed to be.

It was a prison cell.

I was in a prison?!

"_Bella… I told you not to come…_"

I was startled by the voice, and instantly turned to the sound.

Edward was sitting on the dirty cement floor, with his arms resting on his bent knees.

"_I tried to warn you… When you entered the Sanctuary… I couldn't have you coming here. And now it's too late," _he sighed in defeat.

"_What is this place? I don't understand… where's Riley?"_ I asked, sitting down next to him.

He put an arm around me and pulled me closer to him.

"_This is a catcher's nightmare… in lack of better terms,"_ he sighed, but did not elaborate, "_I haven't seen Riley since he took me here… I guess I underestimated his strength."_

"_We all did… but forget about him. How are you feeling? I've been worried sick… Rose said she sensed nothing from you. It scared the hell out of me," _I almost whimpered.

"_Of course not. Why would she? This place has some kind of barrier. It's impossible to sense anything from here." _

"_But that doesn't make any sense… because I could sense you. When I was in the Sanctuary I could feel you… it was what pulled me here," _I said confused.

"_There are exceptions to every rule, Bella… a soulmate triumphs pretty much everything," _he smiled and traced my bottom lip with his thumb, "_And for what it's worth… I love you too. So very much."_

I gave him a questioning look and he chuckled lightly.

"_You hear more than you think when stuck here. I'm impressed by the way you stood up against my dad. And refused to leave," _he said.

"_What? You heard that? But you were... are… whatever… unconscious?"_

"_My body is. But not my mind or my senses. It's like my body is paralyzed, you know?" _he asked and I nodded tentatively, "_And when dad shone that light in my eyes, it felt like this entire room was next to the sun or something. It was fucking painful."_

"_They think you're drained."_

"_I know… and in a way, I am, I guess… I will be drained before I get out of here," _he sighed and I looked up at him.

"_If you lose your gift… you're gonna forget all about me…" _I tried to keep my voice from cracking, but it was a wasted effort. To look into Edward's eyes, and talk about how he would forget about me, was the most painful thing I had ever experienced. How would I ever be able to go on without him looking at me in that loving way. Like there was no other girl in the world for him. Like I was it for him. I was _the_ girl.

And when he would wake up… we might just lose it all.

And that would be a fate worse than death.

Riley must have known that too.

"_Bella… I could never forget about you. With our without my gift. I could never not love you."_

He stroked away a tear I wasn't aware I had shed.

"_You don't know that, Edward… You don't know that…"_

"_I know my heart, and you are it. Without you, I'm nothing. Don't worry. We're going to be okay."_

"_And what happens when you wake up and you have no recollection of ever meeting me?"_

He smiled his beautiful crooked smile and I was once again putty in his hands. He could ask anything of me, and I would do it. He could tell me to go to hell, and I would be on my way so fast it would make his head spin.

"_Then I guess you will just have to come up to me and present yourself again… So I could kiss you until the end of time."_

I felt the familiar blush creep up my cheeks, there was no mistaking the love and devotion in his words, and his raw love for me was overwhelming. He was not just saying that to settle my worries, he really meant every single word.

"_How can you be so sure that you will love me even when we're not cosmically connected anymore?"_ I couldn't help but ask.

"_Oh Bella, we are cosmically connected with our without our gifts. Our gifts may have been what brought us together, but it's not what is keeping us together. And if I, despite everything, may forget about you… just come up to me and say 'hey' and I'll be with you forever. Don't worry. My feelings for you would never change."_

His words may be beautiful, and I wished for them to be true. But I had to be realistic here.

There was no chance in hell that someone as wonderful and beautiful as Edward would ever fall for a girl as plain and boring as me, if he wasn't forced by the universe.

But I was not going to tell him that. He didn't need to hear my worries, because he would only insist that I was wrong, and I didn't want to hear that.

So instead, I settled on snuggling up as close as I could get next to him and rested my head against his chest.

Right now, Edward was mine. And that was all I could ask for.

What happens tomorrow, in a day or two, or even a week, didn't matter.

All that mattered was Edward's strong arms around me, and his lips against mine.

Right now he loved me.

And that was all I could ask for.


	25. Drain and Drive

**A/N:** If you look up "fail" in the dictionary you're probably gonna find a picture of me. Oh well, I guess there is just some things you can't control (like when inspiration will hit and whatnot).

I don't know when I will be able to update next – I have a lot I have to do before I go away for the Holiday's – but_ hopefully_ I'll manage to crank out a chapter or two before Christmas.

Anyways, here is chapter 24. Enjoy :-)

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 24 – "****Drain and Drive****" **

"_**Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a teardrop.**__**"**__**  
**_ ~ anonymous

* * *

A familiar melody sounded through the room and I looked up from Edward's shoulder. It was the ringtone of my cell phone. And I knew who was calling – either mom or dad. Because it was the ringtone I had set specifically for our home number.

Edward smiled sadly at me and sighed.

"_I guess that's your cue to leave,"_ he said and unwrapped his arm from around me. I looked at him and felt a little puzzled by his words, he noticed this of course. _"What's with the face, love?"_

"_But… can I leave?"_ I asked confused, _"I'm not stuck here?"_

"_You're only stuck here if someone put you here on purpose. You came here by your own free will. Consider this your own personal get-out-of-jail-free card," _he chuckled humorlessly.

I frowned and shook my head at him.

"_I'm not leaving,"_ I said. He sighed in response and leaned his head back so it touched the wall. He turned his head slightly to me and I was struck by how tired he looked. I wondered if he could feel the power leaving him. Was it painful?

"_Love, you can't stay here. You know that. You need to wake up and check on your brother. And maybe the others have some idea on what to do with Riley,"_ he replied.

"_But I can't leave you here!" _I protested_, "Can't I like… bring you back with me?"_

He scoffed and shook his head.

"_There are only two ways of which I can leave this place,"_ he said, looking me straight in the eyes as he did so. As if he needed to prove to me how serious this situation was. Like I didn't know already._ "Either he let me go, or I'll come out when I'm drained."_

"_And we both know Riley won't let you go… this is what he wanted all along. He knows that this is the worst case scenario for the both of us," _I said quietly.

"_Bella… love…"_ he sighed and cupped my cheek, _"Don't be afraid of what's to come. I'm gonna survive this. He's not going to kill me."_

"_But you won't remember me… you won't know who I am…"_ I mumbled.

I fiddled with my hands in my lap and avoided his gaze.

"_Bella, look at me,"_ he said, but I shook my head. I didn't want to look at him. Because this could very well be the last time I looked at him and saw that fire of love burn in his eyes. This would be the last time I looked into those beautiful emerald pools and still know that he loved me.

And I couldn't look at him knowing just that.

He sighed and gripped my chin and turned my head to him, forcing me to look at him.

"_Love… My mind might not know who you are when I wake up. But my heart will always know you. And that's where you are. Okay? You have a permanent suite there. And my heart will recognize you as soon as we meet again. Don't worry, love, everything will work out for the best,"_ he said with the most soothing tone he had ever used before. There was no sign of hesitation or doubt in his tone, because he truly believed them. He truly believed we would still end up together when this was all over. I wanted nothing but to trust him on this, but I couldn't.

"_Wake up, love, and don't worry so much… you'll get wrinkles,"_ he chuckled and leaned in to kiss me softly. _"Go now… I'll see you soon."_

"_I love you, Edward,"_ I whispered against his lips.

"_I love you too,"_ he whispered back.

I leaned back and looked at him for a moment. I knew I had to commit every little detail about him to my memory. This would be our last time together. He might not think so – but I knew it was. And I had to remember this no matter how painful it would be tomorrow.

He smiled crookedly and the sight made my heart ache. How could one single person be so beautiful?

I closed my eyes and prepared myself to wake up. I took a deep breath and…

"_Wait!"_ Edward exclaimed and I opened my eyes in surprise.

"_What?"_ I asked confused.

"_I… I just…"_ he frowned and took a deep breath before he continued, "_Don't tell them I know."_

I tilted my head and furrowed my brow in confusion.

"_Don't tell who you know what_?" I asked perplexed.

"_Don't tell mom and dad that… I know,"_ he said slowly and looking at me pointedly.

It took a moment for me to realize what he meant and when the realization hit me I felt all the blood rush from my face. Crap.

"_Oh… you… you heard that too_," I said. I bit my lip and he nodded.

"_Yeah… I've always known there was something they didn't tell me. But I never questioned it… and I guess I know now… I just feel a little stupid that I didn't figure it out earlier,"_ he said with a sad chuckle, I stroked his cheek and smiled sadly at him. He gripped my hand on his cheek. _"I'm just… I want to believe you had a reason why you didn't tell me though… how did you even know?"_

"_The night after the family dinner… you remember?"_ He nodded. _"Well, I just happened to stumble into his dreams that night… and he dreamt about your mother. But the most surprising part was that we talked in that dream, he knew I was there catching him… and he asked me not to tell you. And seeing as you and I weren't on good terms then, I guess I never had a reason to tell you what I knew…"_

His eyes were a little glossy with unshed tears and I felt my bottom lip tremble, I was close to tears myself.

"_You… you saw my mother…"_ he said in awe. I nodded softly and a silent tear fell from my eyes.

"_She was beautiful… She had your hair and your eyes… she looked exactly like you,"_ I said softly.

He nodded and he averted his eyes from me as he smiled to himself.

"_I always wondered where the hell I got it from…"_ he mumbled to himself. He sighed again before looking at me. I was startled when I saw that his emerald green eyes wasn't as intense as before, they seemed murky with splashes of grey in them. They looked discolored.

He was being drained. I could see it happen. The power was leaving his eyes.

It could not be long now.

"_You have to go now, Bella,"_ he said quietly, _"Make sure your brother is okay."_

I groaned but did not protest even though I didn't want to leave him. I knew Edward would be alright – even if he wouldn't remember me; he would be alright. He would survive. Unlike Phil, whose fate was still up for grabs.

"_I love you… I can't lose you. I just can't,_" I sighed almost desperately and Edward smiled. The smile was genuine and full of love and I couldn't help the smile that formed on my face in return. Who could be sad when he smiled like that?

He put his hands on either side of my face and leaned in so our foreheads were touching.

"_I love you too, Bella. Always. And remember… just say hello,"_ he whispered before kissing me.

I closed my eyes and relished in the feeling of his lips moving with mine.

Our good bye was sweet and tender and… _final_.

There was undeniable sadness in the kiss and our tears mixed together as we kissed.

We were breaking up and there was no guarantee that we would ever get back together.

No matter what Edward believe. Because it was so easy for him to believe it would all work out when he still had his memory intact.

They say love conquers all… but can it really conquer amnesia?

I had my doubts even if Edward did not share those doubts.

I tried not to put too much hope on the fact that he seemed to think he knew himself well enough. Well enough to think he would love me in any universe under any circumstances.

I had never felt love like this before. And I had never felt this loved before. He knew me inside and out. He knew all about my secret and he could relate to it. He knew what I was going through.

What would happen when he didn't remember any of it?

Could I ever be myself again with him when he no longer knew what I was?

And if he ever found out… could he find it in his heart to love a freak?

Could he still love me?

I opened my eyes and found myself staring into the sleeping face of Edward.

I sighed and rolled onto my back. My phone rang again and I fished it out of my pocket. I looked at the display and couldn't withhold the groan that followed.

"Hello?" I answered. My voice hoarse from sleep.

"Bella? Where are you?" Mom asked frantically, "I've been calling you all morning!"

"Sorry Mom, I just woke up… what's up?" I asked.

"Well if you had bothered to pick up the phone, you would have known!" she said, her tone changing instantly to one of frantic concern, "Your brother is in the hospital!" she cried out.

I opened and closed my mouth several times like a fish on dry land.

"Wha… why? What happened?" I managed to finally spit out.

"I was eating breakfast with your father, and Phil came downstairs… he looked awful… he said he hadn't slept well… and then he walked over to the refrigerator and…" Her voice broke and she began sobbing into the phone, "… he just collapsed and then he had a seizure… a really bad one… we called 911 and they came and took him… but he never woke up… he still haven't… he just won't wake up…" Mom was openly sobbing now and I didn't know what to say or do to console her. My mind was spinning with the new information and tried to make sense of it all.

Phil was a healthy kid. He never got sick. Never. And he had no history of having seizures before.

"Bella, you have to come down to the hospital. Your brother needs you…" she sobbed.

"Yes, of course… I'm on my way…" I said quickly before hanging up.

I sighed and looked down on the phone in my hand and as I did, my eyes were drawn to Edward's sleeping form.

"I have to go…" I said quietly to him, and stroked his cheek, "I love you, but you were right… my brother needs me right now. But I will be back… I promise you. I'm never gonna leave you."

He didn't answer, of course, he was still just as still as a statue.

_A sleeping, beautiful, statue._

I leaned in and kissed his forehead, before climbing out of the bed and making my way downstairs. I was too caught up in my own thoughts that I didn't even see Esme standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Oh sweetie, you're up," she said softly, "Oh…What's wrong?" she asked when she saw my troubled expression.

"My mom just called…" I said quietly, "Phil was… Phil was taken to the hospital."

"Oh dear…" she gasped and looked suddenly very distressed, "I saw the ambulance drive off earlier. I didn't know it was your brother. If I had known I would have woken you up!"

I just nodded and felt a silent tear fall down my cheek.

"You want me to drive you to the hospital?" she asked and stroked my arm gently.

"That would be nice… thank you," I mumbled, I was afraid to use my full voice in fear of it cracking.

"Of course, let me just grab my purse," she said and disappeared up the stairs.

She returned just moments later and we quickly walked out. I froze in my spot when I realized what car we were gonna drive in.

"Esme… that's Edward's car…" I said when she unlocked the shiny silver Volvo.

"I'm sorry, but my car is in the shop…" she explained with a sheepish shrug.

I sighed and walked over to the passenger side of the car. Edward's scent assaulted my every sense when I opened the door and I was momentarily frozen by it.

Esme waited patiently for me to take my seat and buckle my seatbelt, before she put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway and soon we were on our way to the hospital.

She glanced over at me several times and smiled sadly at me.

"Did you sleep well at all?" she asked, breaking the silence. I just shrugged in response. I didn't know the answer to that one yet. "Did you see him?" she asked softly and glanced knowingly at me. Of course she knew I had looked for him. Esme was not stupid.

"Yes, I did…" I replied, feeling my throat closing up on me and the tears streaming down my cheeks almost instantly. Esme was quiet for a moment and I wiped the tears from my face.

"If you don't mind me asking but… how was he?" she asked cautiously.

"He was stuck in a Catcher's Nightmare," I mumbled, and my tears gained new strength and poured down like the Niagara Falls by the memory. I realized that the term must have meant something to her, when I noticed her frightened expression.

"Oh no… Riley put him in… oh no…" She covered her mouth with her hand to muffle her gasp and I looked down on my clasped hands in my lap.

"He said something…" I said quietly and tried my best to keep my voice steady, "That he can't leave until he's drained… is that true?"

All I wanted now was for Esme to tell me it was all a lie, and that Edward was either messing with me or that he simply did not know enough on the subject. I wished for Esme to tell me that there was no such thing as a Catcher's Nightmare, and that he would open his eyes at any minute now and they would all laugh at my stupidity.

But I didn't need to see her face, or hear her answer, to know that that wasn't going to happen.

"That's how the Catcher's Nightmare works…" she replied quietly, "Hence the term…"

"I was there… I left… I woke up… I should have been able to bring him out with me…" I whispered to myself and Esme took my hand, and held them over the center console.

"Riley put him there… only Riley can bring him back," she sighed quietly in a tone which suggested she already knew I knew that, but felt it necessary to say out loud anyway. She probably did that just to keep me from getting any ideas…

"Edward looked so tired… his eyes looked weird too… like they lost all their power," I mumbled.

"That means he's getting close…" Esme shook her head softly, "I didn't think it could happen this quickly…" She took a deep breath and squeezed my hand tightly.

I gnawed on my lip and the closer we got to the hospital the harder I chewed. By the time we pulled into the parking lot I tasted blood in my mouth. I really should try to kick that disgusting habit.

Esme followed me inside and walked straight up to the nurse's station. The nurse sitting behind the desk smiled at Esme.

"Hello Mrs. Cullen, what can I do you for? I think Dr. Cullen is in his office," the nurse smiled.

"No, I'm actually here on account of Bella," she said, and gave me a soft smile, "He brother was brought in earlier… Philip Swan?"

"Why yes," the nurse replied. She turned to look it up on her computer and she pushed the keys for a moment before she looked up again, "He's in the ICU, room 341."

"Thank you," Esme said. She grabbed my hand and walked me to the elevators. She kept smiling reassuringly and squeezing my hand, but it did little to settle my nerves.

I didn't know what sight I was going to be met with when I entered his room. Was he going to look lifeless? Like Edward? Would his eyes be lifeless too?

I stepped out of the elevator on the third floor in a daze. Esme tugged me forward towards room 341. The door was opened so she just knocked on the doorframe before walking inside.

Mom and Dad was standing by the bed and my heart ached by the sight of them. Mom's face was tear streaked and Dad looked like he had aged twenty years over night.

My eyes welled up with tears when I walked toward my mother and she wrapped her arms around me.

"How is he?" Esme asked my father and he shrugged.

"The doctors don't know… he won't wake up and they don't know when or if he will," Dad muttered in response. His voice was thick with emotion and I hated that he had to go through this again. First his mother and now his son?

I rested my head on Mom's shoulder and she hugged me tightly to her.

"He'll be okay… he's Phil. He can make it through anything," she mumbled before kissing my hair.

I looked over at Esme and she smiled crookedly at me and even though she was not Edward's biological mother, she had never looked more like him than at that moment.

I sighed and turned my eyes down at Phil. He too reminded me of Edward. The way his face was so peaceful and relaxed, as if he never had been more comfortable in his entire life.

And I really hoped that that was true.

I stayed at the hospital with Mom and Dad for the rest of the day. Phil never woke up and the doctors couldn't make sense of the situation at all.

* * * * *

By the time dinnertime rolled around, Mom told me to go home.

"We will stay overnight, but you should go home… there is no use for all of us being here. We promise to call if anything changes," Mom said to me and I nodded.

No matter how much I wanted to be there for Phil, I knew I had to go home. I needed to be with Edward.

Esme hadn't stayed long after she had dropped me off, but she told me I could call her if I needed anything and now I needed a ride home. I didn't even feel bad for calling her and when she picked me up fifteen minutes later I knew I had called the right person. She didn't look irritated or upset when I climbed into the car, she just smiled at me.

"How's your brother?" she asked gently and I shook my head.

"I don't know… the doctors don't know either," I sighed, "How's Edward?"

"Your guess is as good as mine I'm afraid," she replied and glanced over at me, "Your friends are at the house and they're trying to figure out how to deal with Riley."

It felt as if the ride over to their house took no time at all and I soon found us parking outside the house and stepping out of the car. I had just barely closed the car door behind me when Alice busted out through the front door and ran over to me.

She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly, her grip was surprisingly strong to come from such a tiny person.

"How are you doing? How's your brother?" she asked quietly as she let me go.

"He won't wake up and the doctors don't know anything… as for me… I don't really want to take a second to feel anything right now… I'm about to lose my soulmate and I might lose my brother… I'm a freaking mess right now," I said with a weak smile.

"Come on, let's get inside. We just ordered pizza and I bet you haven't eaten all day," Alice said, tugging at my arm and pulling me inside.

The others were sitting around in the living room and they looked at me with sympathetic gazes when I plopped down on the couch, next to Jasper.

"We're sorry, Bella, we could have-" Emmett began but I cut him off.

"Don't apologize, it's not your fault," I said shaking my head, "None of this is your fault.". The last thing I needed right now was to have my friends taking the blame. The situation wasn't even remotely their fault. And I didn't even know what Emmett was apologizing for anyway, for what happened to Edward or for what happened to Phil?

This was all on me.

If hadn't gotten together with Riley then none of this would have happened. And I had to pay for that mistake when Edward woke up not knowing who I was and when Phil never woke up at all. The thought alone brought on a fresh new wave of tears and sobs, and the despair was mirrored in all their faces.

I had a slight feeling that I knew why Phil didn't wake up. Riley must have drained him, which caused the seizure and made him pass out. But how was I supposed to explain that to my parents and the doctors? I doubted they had any experience on how to save someone from something like that.

This was a fate worse than death, I'm sure. I had never been in hell; but there was no doubt in my mind that it was worse than this.

Even death would be a relief right about now.

Jasper squeezed my knee reassuringly and I smiled weakly at him in return.

"Esme told me you were cooking up a plan for Riley…" I said quietly and reached for a pizza slice from the box on the table. Emmett was sitting on a chair across from me, Rosalie was sitting on the armrest, and he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"We're thinking of heading over to Port Angeles and kick his ass," Emmett said, "If we can't kill him in his sleep at least we can kick his ass when he's awake." He chuckled darkly but nobody joined in on it and Rosalie just sighed beside him.

"And I told you, Emmett, that you're not going to do something stupid like that," Esme chided.

"Then what do you propose we do? We need to do _something_," Emmett sighed sounding both disappointed and aggravated for not getting to kick Riley's ass. I didn't blame him. I would have paid a pretty penny to see that fight. Riley didn't stand a chance against Emmett. Emmett would kill him dead. "We can't let him get away with this!"

"Of course not, don't be stupid," Alice sighed, "But we have to be smart about this. There is no victory if one of us gets hurt in the process of taking him down… I think we learned that lesson the hard way with Edward."

I winced by the mere mention of his name and Alice looked at me apologetically.

"Esme mentioned that you said he was stuck in a Catcher's Nightmare," Jasper said and turned his head to me. When I nodded he turned to look at Esme. "But would it be possible for her to put Riley there? If she was relaxed enough and strong enough… would it be possible? That way nobody gets hurt and nobody needs to get killed."

"Don't be crazy, Bella can't go up against him alone," Alice protested. I would have been insulted by her lack of faith in me, but a part of me knew that she was right. We had to be smart about this; we couldn't let him get the upper hand again.

"He has a point though…" I couldn't help but say and I was careful not to meet anyone's gaze. Instead I stared intently on the slice of pizza in my hands instead.

"Yeah? And What happens when he drains you too? Huh?" Alice said and sounding beyond aggravated. In the corner of my eye, I saw how she put her hands on her hips and stared me down. But her supposedly scary demeanor did nothing to change my opinion on the matter.

"Yeah, so what if he does?" I replied with a defeated tone, looking up at her, "The worst thing that can happen is that I lose my gift and forget all about Edward too. And for me that sounds pretty good considering he won't know who I am anyway when he wakes up. And it would be nice to be able to have my own dreams for a change."

"Bella…" she sighed, letting her hands fall to her side, "We don't know if that's going to happen. We won't know until he wakes up. And God knows that your bond is stronger than anything else in this world, so I can't even begin to believe that he will actually forget about you."

"But what you believe doesn't really matter, does it? It's in your nature to stay optimistic," I muttered.

"I still say we go to Port Angeles and kick his ass," Emmett huffed from his chair, and Rosalie responded by slapping the back of his head. He groaned and gave her an irritated look but she just stared back blankly.

The tension in the room was palpable. I almost felt sick to my stomach and the slice of pizza that I just forced down were threatening to get back up.

"Esme… I have a question…" I said quietly.

"Yes, dear?" Esme replied and put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently.

"How would one go about it… to put Riley in that nightmare place…?" I asked and I tried to squash any hope that was ignited inside at the thought.

Esme tilted her head to the side in silent contemplation and nodded slowly.

"I honestly don't know, the books didn't cover that. They just explain that the place exists, and what it does, but they don't explain how to get there," she replied softly, "But from what I understand it's not something anyone can do, it's a rather difficult task." I sighed and slumped in my seat. Of course it would not be easy; nothing about this situation was ever easy.

My mind was on overdrive as I tried to figure something out when it hit me.

Esme said that the problem lied within getting him to that place.

But I had been there!

I had been there and I had left it.

_I knew how to get there._

All I needed to do was first find Riley, then sense for Edward and bring Riley with me.

How hard could it be?

I bit my lip and looked around the room at the others.

I was not gonna tell them what I was planning on doing because they would most likely just try to stop me. They just didn't get it. They couldn't relate to what I was feeling at all. They couldn't understand the feeling of lost that I was about to experience as soon as I looked into Edward's beautiful face, just to see that he no longer recognized me.

For me that really was a fate worse than death.

The only thing more painful than to never get to see his beautiful face and smile again, is to see him every day at school but know that he would never be mine again…

Suddenly we heard a door open and we all froze.

That was not the front door. It was a door upstairs.

We all looked at each other wide eyed. We had not expected for him to wake up so soon.

_Maybe Riley had let him go?_

Esme walked carefully to the stairs and looked up.

"Edward? Is that you?" she called.

"Who else would it be? Fuck." Edward's voice was muffled and gruffy but it was very much his voice. I didn't know whether to smile, cry, laugh or just die right then and there.

"Are you okay?" Esme continued cautiously.

"What the fuck did I do last night? Can you make something for me to eat? I'm hungover like shit and I need something greasy…", he groaned. His voice was closer now, as he neared the stairs, "What time is it?"

"A little after five thirty," Esme said softly, there was a smile in her voice.

"God…" Edward groaned again as he descended the stairs. Each step slow and heavy.

"Your friends are in the living room. There's pizza too," Esme said.

"Awesome, but I think I'm gonna pass…" Edward said, "My head is getting heavier by the minute… I think I'm gonna go back to bed... Fuck… what the hell did I do last night?" He muttered to himself. I could hear his every step up the stairs and when he reached the top I heard Esme take a deep breath.

"Bella is here," Esme blurted.

The silence that followed felt like an eternity. Everything was hanging on whatever he said next. My fate was about to be decided. It all depended on him and whatever words left his mouth.

"Who the fuck is Bella?" he groaned, before he continued his walk up to the third floor.

All the blood rushed from my face and I felt my body shut down.

He didn't know me.

Riley just won.


	26. Forgive and Forget

**A/N:** It feels like this story is taunting me. I have opened Word almost every day since the last update because I wanted to give you another chapter before Christmas. But it was freaking impossible. I didn't know that writer's block could be _this_ bad. I know where I want this story to go, but somehow I just couldn't find the words. Which is pretty frustrating since I have no trouble writing my other story.

Anyway, that's why this chapter is unusually short. I felt that I just needed to put it out there for you to read, because no matter how much I obssessed over it, it wouldn't get any better or any longer. At least I know what exactly will happen in the next chapter, so hopefully it will be easier to write. But somehow I doubt it… heh.

Anyway, Happy (early) New Year!

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 25 – "****Forgive and Forget****" **

"_**Forbidden to remember, terrified to forget.**__**"**__**  
**_ ~ Bella Swan, New Moon

* * *

_Who the fuck is Bella. Who the fuck is Bella. Who the fuck is Bella._

Edward's words were still ringing in my head several hours later when I was sitting on my bed. I had wrapped my arms around my legs and I tried not to cry. I didn't want to believe that this was actually happening. I was in complete denial even with his words echoing around me.

_He didn't know me. _

He promised he would never forget me. But he did. He promised me. But he still forgot me.

_He didn't know me. _

I hadn't stayed long at the Cullen house after Edward made that particular declaration. I ignored my friends when they tried to tell me everything was going to be okay and when they tried to convince me that he was probably just confused after waking up.

_Of course he knows you_, they said. _Of course he remembers_, they said.

I didn't buy it though because it made no sense to me. No matter how confused he was when he woke up, there was no chance in hell that he would forget about me because of it. I would never forget about him just because I was groggy with sleep, because he was constantly on my mind and not a second past without me thinking about him.

So no, there was no chance in hell that he was just confused or groggy. He had really forgotten me. Riley had succeeded with his plan and my life was destroyed.

_No more denial._

I curled into a ball on my bed and sobbed quietly into my pillow. Everything that had happened during the past twenty-four hours was beginning to take its toll on me. I didn't know what I was supposed to do.

Phil was fighting for his life in his unconscious state in the hospital and there was no say in when or if he was ever going to wake up. Edward was suffering from amnesia and had no idea who the hell I was. He most likley didn't even have his gift anymore and Riley had probably drained him of every little ounce of power.

I was wondering why Edward had woken up so soon, since Esme said it could be a couple of days or more. Edward had not been down for more than nineteen hours or so before he woke up. I wanted to believe it meant that he was stronger than Riley and somehow managed to out power him. But I knew I had to be realistic about this, and the most plausible explanation for the whole thing would be that Riley had done something to speed up the process.

I glanced at the clock on my bedside table and sighed. It was barely nine thirty and I was feeling freaking exhausted.

Mom and Dad was still at the hospital and they only called me earlier to tell me nothing had changed with Phil, and that they would spend the night there.

_I was alone now. Totally and utterly alone._

I grabbed the duvet and pulled it over my body and closed my eyes. I didn't even bother to remove my clothes. What was the point anyway?

I wondered what Edward was doing at that very moment. Was he hanging out with our friends or maybe his parents? Was he playing some music and just chilling in his room, or was he out driving around in his Volvo?

I rolled onto my back and sighed.

I wanted to go to him, I wanted to talk to him and make him laugh. I wanted him to look at me with those loving emerald eyes and smile that special crooked smile of his. I wanted him to be mine again… but in the end, it didn't matter what I wanted. I had a feeling I had to prepare for the worst.

_Edward might not want me anymore..._

* * * * *

I walked aimlessly in the Sanctuary and smashed the violet flowers purposely under my feet. It felt as if they were only there to remind me that Edward might not ever be with me here again. They were mocking me with their perfect form and color, silently telling me that they would be perfect forever even if my life wasn't.

I plopped down on the grass and pulled a couple of flower from the grass and tore them apart in my hands. They shouldn't be here if Edward wasn't here to enjoy them.

After I had let out part of my anger on those stupid flowers, I crossed my legs and sat Indian-style on the grass and closed my eyes. I was going to sense for Edward. I have no idea what good it would do but I knew I had to see him and make sure he was alright.

_If he was even asleep that is._

I focused on his beautiful eyes and his smile, as well as his bronze-colored hair and strong persona. The image alone made me feel at home and slightly more at ease and I smiled to myself at the image I created.

I was so lost in the image that it took me a moment before I realized I wasn't getting a read.

I took a deep breath and focused again.

I was not going to fail. I was going to find him even if it killed me.

I ignored the fact he might not even be asleep. I figured it would be harder to find him now anyway, considering what Riley did too-

_Wait! What was that?_

There had been something there, though it had been very weak I was sure I had felt it.

I focused all my power on that weak signal and tried to move myself there, it requiered a great deal of effort on my part to hold onto that signal. It felt as if it kept slipping through my fingers, it was almost impossible to hold on to. _As if he was moving rapidly or something…_

I felt something shift from underneath me and when I opened my eyes I found myself on the empty parking lot of Forks Mall. I looked around with a hopeful smile, hoping that I would spot Edward somewhere.

But no such luck. Instead I locked eyes with the last person who should been alive at that very moment.

"_Oh, pretty Bella… fancy seeing you here," _Riley smirked.

He was leaning casually against a wall in the shadows, with his arms crossed over his chest in a carefree manor.

"_Where is Edward? I was sensing for Edward…"_ I replied and my tone was a weird mixture of disappointment, sadness and anger.

"_Edward is not here right now, and to be honest… he won't ever be," _he replied with a calm voice and pushed himself from the wall and walked over to me. I felt my anger rise with every step closer he got. I clenched my fists at my sides and had to fight back the urge to punch that smug face of his.

"_What did you do to him?" _I spat angrily. I was basically shaking now.

"_He brought it on himself, pretty Bella, you know that…" _he smiled, "_Now nothing stands in our way. We can finally be together."_

He was so close now that he could reach out and touch me. I flinched when his hand came in contact with the skin on my cheek and he chuckled as I took a few stumbling steps backwards.

"_Where is Edward? Why did I come here when I sensed for him? Is he here? Are you hiding him somewhere?" _All my questions came out in a rush and I ignored his earlier comment about us.

"_Oh Bella… I am Edward now… in a way. I drained him, my love. His gift is now my gift and we both know what bond you shared with him earlier… now you share that very same one with me," _he stated proudly. I gaped at him with my mouth open in shock. Was he joking?

"_You and I do not share a bond. Neither special nor otherwise. So you should stop deluding yourself," _I growled and he laughed loudly at me.

"_You got spirit; I like that in a girl," _he smiled, "_So… why don't we go to our Sanctuary so we can talk in a more appropriate setting… I'm sure we have a lot of things to figure out, don't you think?" _

I raised my hand without thinking and slapped him across the face. The sound echoed through the empty parking lot in a very satisfying way. I was happy to notice that my hand didn't even hurt afterwards. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be in any pain either. He just looked surprised and… well, to be frank, he looked pretty pissed.

"_Bellaaa," _he growled and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"_You can't say shit like that and expect me to just accept it. Because I won't. You are not my soulmate. Neither in this life nor in any other life. Edward is, and will always be, my soulmate. It doesn't matter if he doesn't have his gift anymore. I love him for him and not his gift,"_ I said calmly.

"_But what happens when you go to school on Monday morning and he just looks right through you like you don't even exist. We both know that he wouldn't love you if it weren't for that ridiculous soulmate thing. And now that I have removed his gift I have also removed his love for you. So, I'm sorry sweetie, but I think you're stuck with me now," _he smiled sweetly at me as if he was trying to be all comforting or something.

"_You're wrong. Our love is much deeper than that. Our love has nothing to do with our gifts!" _I argued. But my words didn't make any difference to him. He just kept on smiling at me in that sickly sweet way.

He was freaking delirious and he had clearly gone insane.

"_No, sweetie… it's not… it's really not," _he chuckled.

That was freaking it for me. I had reached my boiling point and now he had to pay.

He knew nothing about me and Edward's relationship and if Edward promised me that he would love me with or without his gift, then I sure as hell would trust him on that.

I didn't even think as I jumped forward and grabbed Riley's freaking throat. He stumbled backwards at the force and fell down on his back. My hands never wavered and I gripped his throat tightly between my hands and squeezed.

I had – obviously - never choked someone before and I never thought I ever would.

But if someone in this world deserved it, it was Riley.

I didn't intend on killing him, mostly because I simply wasn't a killer but also because killing him would leave him with an easy exit. He would never be forced to live with what he had done and that was something I simply could not accept.

I wanted him to suffer the same way he had made me suffer.

I didn't know what I was supposed to do though, so I let my instincts take over and hope that some part of me knew what needed to be done.

It was then it happened.

It was as if a light had come on and everything was clear as day. Suddenly I knew what I had to do. I couldn't help the smile that formed on my face as I removed my hands from his throat and placed two fingers on both his temples and relaxed on top of him.

His eyes widened as he realized what I was about to do.

"_You can't do this… you're weak, Bella, too fucking weak. You're nothing! You have no idea what the hell you're doing!" _he choked. He wasn't moving at all as he laid underneath me and for some reason I didn't find this surprising at all. This was supposed to happen. He was supposed to be paralyzed. It felt as if I had known this all along but I had just forgotten all about it.

I was born to do this.

"_I can and I am," _I replied with a collected tone, "_I'm just taking back what does not belong to you… and then I'm gonna take the one thing that will make it impossible for you to hurt us again."_

"_You're not gonna get away with this! You're making a huge mistake!" _His voice was weak, but it still succeeded to give me the chills.

"_I beg to differ," _I replied as I pressed my fingers harder against his temples.

I felt the energy leave his body and enter mine and I could almost see it as it did. The raw energy pulsated through his temples and into my body and my fingers were glowing where they touched his skin. I felt stronger than I had ever felt before and I took that as an encouragement to purposely drain more power out of him. This way it would all end quicker.

"_Fuck… you…" _he whispered. His voice held no power anymore and even the life in his eyes began to diminish. I knew I wasn't killing him. I was just draining him.

And I'd be damned if I didn't enjoy every second of it.

_This was easy… so freaking easy… _

"_Bella? Honey? Wake up, Bella… come on… sweetie…" _

My eyes widened in panic as I heard my mom's voice echo through the space and Riley managed to shot me a smug glance. My body was being shaken, I had no control anymore. My fingers left Riley's temples before I had time to finish the deed. I could see his eyes sparkle back to life as soon as my fingers left his temples.

"_Bella… come on now, Bella!" _Mom was frustrated now and I could no longer fight it. I frowned as I felt my body slowly leave the space and the last thing I heard before I opened my eyes again was Riley's smug voice.

"_I told you… you're too weak. Next time I'm coming for _you_…"_

* * * * *

I wanted to hate my mother for what she did. I would never be able to forgive her for waking me up at the most cruical point. I had been so close to finishing Riley off that I could taste it on my tongue. But when she told me why she had woken me up, I could not hold a grudge, no matter how much I wanted too.

It had been a little after ten a.m on Sunday morning when she woke me up. She took me to the hospital to see Phil, he had woken up during the night and the first thing he did was to ask for me.

Mom didn't waste any time when she sped through town to the hospital. She basically ran through the halls of the hospital to get back to Phil's room and I had a hard time keeping up.

We bursted through the doors and I couldn't help the smile that escaped when I saw Phil sit up in his bed. He looked tired… no, he looked exhausted, as if he hadn't slept in years. But at least he was awake and that was what mattered the most at the moment.

"Hello, sis," he said in a weak voice.

"Hello, bro," I replied and stepped up to the bed.

"Did you… eeh… _sleep_ well?" he asked me with a pointed glance. I shot a quick glance at Mom and Dad before I looked back at him. I slowly shook my head.

"No… I didn't… I… Mom woke me up," I replied sheepishly. Phil nodded slowly.

"Oh… okay… well… I hope you'll get to _catch_ up on some sleep later," he said solemnly with clear emphasis on the word _catch_.

"Yeah, me too," I said with a sad smile, "But enough about me, how are _you_ feeling?"

"Like I was hit by a truck or something, it feels as if I could sleep for another decade and still not be rested enough," he sighed.

"Maybe we should leave and let you rest," Mom said and squeezed his hand. I could tell she didn't want to leave but at this point his health was more important than anything. Phil nodded and I saw that Mom's eyes filled up with tears. "We will be back later… we can bring you something good to eat and not this hospital… junk." Phil chuckled and nodded again.

"That would be great," he said quietly.

Mom leaned in and kissed his forehead and Dad gave him a firm nod, before they left the room together. I lingered for another moment and Phil met my gaze.

"Destroy that bastard. Promise me you'll do that, Bella," he said quietly.

"I promise," I replied, "See you later, big brother."

He smiled weakly at me as I left the room and caught up with my parents. It had been the quickest of visits but I was still grateful. At least I now I knew that he was somewha alright and awake.

Mom put an arm around my shoulders and gave me a gentle squeeze.

"Your brother is going to be alright, don't worry, sweetie," she said.

I bit my lip and nodded. Maybe he would be alright in the end, but at what cost?

* * * * *

I helped my mom with preparing Phil's favorite dinner. We didn't say much while we worked and for that I was grateful. She was lost in her thoughts and worry for Phil, and I was lost in my thoughts and worry for both Phil and Edward… but mostly Edward, since I had no idea how he was doing.

I couldn't even begin to imagine how the next day was going to be like. A part of me didn't want to find out either. I didn't want to go to school just to realize that everything was just as it was when I first got back to Forks. I would be excluded from the one group of people I belonged with because Edward hated me.

No, he would probably not hate me.

He would be indifferent to me. He wouldn't care enough to hate me or feel anything at all.

"You're quiet today, sis, what's up?" Phil asked later when we got back to the hospital.

I was sitting on a chair with my feet propped up on his bed and with a paper plate of food on my lap. I looked up from my plate and gave him a weak smile.

"Nothing…" I lied and he sighed deeply.

"C'mon, you can't fool me," he said with a patient voice.

Mom and Dad had left the room to talk to the Doctor so if I wanted to speak freely with my brother I had to do it now, before they got back. I really wanted to confind in him but I couldn't. I couldn't burden him with my petty little issues.

"Bella, tell me… what the heck is going on?" he asked again and I sighed as I turned my gaze up to face him.

"It's Edward," I said quietly, "I don't even know where to begin because it's all so complicated… but basically, he doesn't have a clue who I am and there is nothing I can do about it." He frowned in confusion and I looked back down on my plate.

"Riley did something to him when he caught me," Phil said after a moments of silence. It wasn't a question. It was a statement. I closed my eyes and nodded. "What did he do?"

"Riley drained him," I replied in a weak voice.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that Edward doesn't have his power anymore and all of his memories that are related to it has been erased… that includs his relationship with me… he doesn't know who I am anymore." Tears were falling down my cheeks and my voice cracked in the most awkward way. I was falling apart, yet again.

"Oh… and you're sure you can't revoke it or something?" he asked tentatively.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I don't even know in which end I would begin…" I mumbled, "I'm not strong enough to do that or help him in any way… I'm weak. Too weak." I felt so defeated and Riley's taunting echoed through my head. He was right, of course. I was too weak.

Phil smiled sadly at me and the smile made him look even more tired and… _drained_.

"You'll be okay, don't worry. Everything will be alright in the end," he said reassuringly.

"How can you be so sure?" I snorted.

"Let's just say I've seen a few things and I'm a believer in fate now. So don't worry, sis, you'll find your way in the end," he said softly.

"I don't think I can ever find my way without Edward…" I sighed quietly.

"Who says you'll need to?"

I met his gaze at his cryptic remark and he raised an eyebrow at me as he looked at me pointedly. I was first slightly confused as to what he meant but then I got it.

"You can't honestly believe we'll end up together if he doesn't even remember loving me in the first place," I argued with a hint of desperation in my voice. He chuckled and shrugged lightly.

"Who knows?" he smiled, "But trust me when I say that the way he looks at you, the way he brushes your hair out of your face and how he glares at the guys who even dares to look your way… that is not a product of some mumbo-jumbo-witchcraft-gift-power. And maybe you shouldn't give up until you see the guy again, okay?" I bit my lip and smiled sadly. How I wished that he was right.

He must have sensed my reluctance to accept his speech as the truth, because he sighed and rolled his eyes. "God damnit, Bella, how can you be so insecure about this? Are you even aware of how you two are together? Okay, I get it that you're freaking out about him not remembering you, but I don't think he can forget about how he feels… Just sayin'."

I couldn't help but chuckle humorlessly at that.

"You sound just like Edward," I said, "He told me the exact same thing the last time I saw him…"

"He sounds like a smart guy," he agreed and I rolled my eyes.

I smiled crookedly and tilted my head to the side as I gazed at my brother.

"Do you remember when all you did was to tell me to stay the hell away from him?" I asked and he chuckled.

"Yeah, I do… but I also remember I felt weird when I got so upset about it. It didn't make sense to me why I would get so upset… as long as you were happy, I would be happy, right? I knew what I said was wrong, but I still acted like an ass… you know?" he said with a sad smile.

"Yeah, I know. That's the power a Dreamhunter holds," I sighed just as our parents walked back in. We both turned our gazes to them and it was evident that Mom had been crying.

"Bella, I will drive you home... You have school tomorrow," Dad said and I stood up from the bed and threw my paper plate and untouched food in the trashcan by Phil's bed.

"I will stay the night," Mom explained to me and I nodded.

I gave Phil an awkward hug.

"I will destroy him for doing this to us," I whispered in his ear and I felt him nod.

I pulled back and forced a smile at him. But when I met his gaze I felt my stomach drop.

There was something in his eyes that weren't quite right, as if he wasn't all _there_.

I would have assumed that he was just tired, but after everything we had gone through for the past couple of weeks I knew better than to assume anything.

I knew better than to get my hopes up.

* * * * *

I was not surprised when I found my self back in the Sanctuary that night. This time, however, I didn't make any attempts on finding Edward or anyone else for that matter.

I just layed there on the meadow and tried not to wallow in my misery. I didn't care about how good it felt when the power surged through me in a new way and leaving pleasant tingles in its wake. I couldn't enjoy it when Edward wasn't there to share the experience.

I didn't care that I felt more powerful then ever. Nothing mattered if Edward wasn't a part of it.

That's why I was so relieved when my alarm went off and I could leave that stupid meadow.

I went through my usual morning routines in a daze. I almost slipped in the shower because I wasn't paying any attention and I didn't realize how long I had even been in there until the water ran cold. When I got back into my room to get dressed I also realized I was now running late.

_Fantastic._

I quickly put on my clothes and blow-dried my hair. I was tempted to put my hair up in a ponytail but today was a day where I needed to be able to hide behind it.

When I was done with my hair I walked over to my desk to grab my stuff for school.

I was just about to put my notebook in my bag when my eyes zeroed in on a still unopened CD.

_The_ CD.

I put my notebook away and sat down by my desk and reached for the Post-Its.

I grabbed my favorite blue ball-point pen and wrote.

"_Afraid to remember, terrified to forget. _

_I will always love you – B"_

I stuck the Post-It to the CD and put it in a safe place in my bag.

_If this doesn't prove to him that I'm supposed to be special to him, then nothing will._


	27. Fight your Fears

**A/N:** This chapter's quote rings so true, that I don't need to say anything else. Enjoy!

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 26 – "****Face Your Fears****" **

"_**The saddest thing in the world is loving someone who used to love you .**__**"**__**  
**_ ~ ___anonymous_

* * *

I was a wreck by the time I got to school, but I relaxed some when I saw Alice and Rose waiting for me by the end of the parking lot. They approached my car as I climbed out and Alice immediately pulled me into a tight embrace, which I appreciated, as soon as I was out.

"How is he?" I asked in a weak voice. "Is he here?"

"Yeah, he is… he's inside with Em and Jazz," Rose replied softly.

"He said he felt tired though, the drain must still be affecting him," Alice added.

"Has he said anything… you know… about me?" I asked, my voice hopeful though I had promised myself not to let my hope get the best of me. My heart sank when Alice shook her head.

"No, he hasn't. But then again, he hasn't said much about anything. He just said he was tired," Alice said and rubbed my back in a reassuring way as we walked up to the school entrance.

"I'm scared," I admitted quietly. "What if he likes… spits at me or something when he sees me?"

Rosalie laughed and hooked her arm to mine.

"He won't spit at you. He's simply not the spitting type," she joked and I had to smile at her sad attempt to cheer me up.

"Either way, we're about to find out," Alice said in a hushed tone. I glanced at her with a frown, and saw that she was looking straight ahead. I followed her gaze and saw our three guys standing by Jasper's locker, at the end of the hallway.

It didn't matter that the entire hallway were filled with students, all I could see was _him_.

I let Alice and Rose lead me there. By the time we reached them, I was surprised that Rose hadn't snatched her arm back yet. I was holding on to it so tightly it was a miracle that it didn't break of entirely. Jasper and Emmett smiled at us when we approached. Edward had yet to see me, since he had his back to me.

"Hi Bella, how are you doing this fine mornin'?" Emmett asked with a wide smile. I could tell that he was also attempting to brighten up the situation for me. Edward turned around when he heard Emmett say my name. I tried to swallow down the lump in my throat when I met Edward's gaze, and I tried not to hope for anything.

Edward looked the same as he did the last time I saw him, yet oddly different at the same time.

There was no sign or flicker of recognition in Edward's eyes as he looked back at me with a blank expression.

"You're Bella? You were at my house the other day," he stated. I bit my lip and nodded.

"Yeah… I-I was there with the oth-others," I stuttered. I was embarrassed for not being able to even speak like a normal person around him anymore. I felt like a complete moron and I was sure Edward thought I was one too.

_Good look on making him fall for you again._

_Shut up._

"Are you new, though? I don't think I've seen you before… And I don't think we've been properly introduced, either," he said politely and held out his hand. "I'm Edward."

I looked at his hand and hesitated for a moment before I took his hand in mine.

"I'm Bella."

I could feel the familiar sparks as soon as our hands touched. It felt familiar. It felt like home. Edward was my home, even if he didn't know it.

Edward looked down on our joined hands with a confused expression, but he didn't let go. I wasn't going to let his hand go either, until he made me. I didn't care how crazy it must have looked from the outside. If the love of your life doesn't know who the hell you are, then you're going to take whatever you could get. Shaking Edward's hand was what I could get at that moment, and I was going to milk it for all it was worth.

It felt as if we were holding hands for hours, but it might as well just have been a few seconds.

Edward pulled his hand back and I reluctantly let it go and let my hand fall to my side. He gave me a quizzical look and there was a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"_Have _we met before?" he asked, looking slightly puzzled.

"Yeah…" I said meekly. I didn't know what else to say. I couldn't exactly lie and tell him we had never met, but I couldn't exactly blurt out and say he was the love of my existence either.

A meek "yeah" had to suffice.

"Huh…," he said, nodding softly to himself as he looked me in the eyes.

It's amazing how much you can tell by looking into another person's eyes. I was used to seeing nothing but raw love and adoration in his eyes, when he looked at me. Therefore, it was weird for me to have him look at me like he didn't even know me. There was an emptiness in his eyes that I didn't like, but behind that emptiness there was something more.

I was sure of it. There was something there.

Maybe not recognition, maybe not love, but there was… _something_.

The bell rang and Edward looked away, breaking the connection that I so wished he felt too.

"Time for hell," he joked and the guys laughed.

"See you girls at lunch," Jasper said and kissed Alice goodbye. Emmett did the same to Rosalie, and I tried not to be jealous. I glanced over at Edward, hoping he might be thinking the same thing, but he was already walking away.

"Hey, wait a minute, you guys," Rosalie said to Jasper and Emmett, just as they were about to leave and follow Edward. We all looked at Rosalie expectantly, and she turned to look straight at me. "Care to tell us why the hell your power is all over the place?"

The others eyes widened in surprise at Rosalie's words, but she just quirked an eyebrow at me while she waited for my answer. I smiled and shrugged sheepishly.

"I had a good night sleep?" I fibbed and Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"Oh c'mon, why don't you tell us the story about little Red Riding Hood while you're at it, too," she snorted, but with a smile in her voice. The others looked confused, since they didn't know if this was a good thing or not.

_And to be honest; neither did I. _

"What do you mean her power is all over the place… is she being drained?" Jasper asked.

Rosalie shook her head with a smirk grazing her lips.

"Bella, here, is vibrating with power, as we speak. It's so strong that I'm surprised you guys can't feel it too," Rosalie said and gestured to me as she spoke. "It feels like a force field or something, like I could almost touch it…"

"What did you do?" Alice asked, looking at me. I bit my lip and felt like I was five years old again and getting caught with my hand in the cookie jar. Had I done something good? Was this a good thing? Or should I just lie and hope they would let it go?

"I may have… I mean… I… I may have stumbled upon Riley on Saturday night…" I said, my voice lowering with each passing word. I was afraid of their reactions, I was afraid they would yell at me, and the last thing I needed right now was being yelled at.

"You… you stumbled upon Riley? Just like that? And that's why you're practically an overcharged battery?" Rosalie asked incredulously.

"What happened?" Emmett asked, his eyes glittering with excitement. "Did you, you know, kick his ass? I just assume you got the upper hand, otherwise you wouldn't be overflowing right now." I smiled at his excitement.

"Let's just say that I would have finished him off if Mom hadn't woken me up," I said with a sigh. "I will fill you in later. I don't think this is the time and place for this."

"Ah, man, I wish I could have been there," Emmett sighed in disappointment and we all rolled our eyes at his antics.

"We should get to class," Alice said just as the bell rang.

"No rest for the wicked," Emmett grinned. Jasper laughed and slapped him in the back of his head, before they walked off. Rose rolled her eyes and hooked her arms with ours.

"God, they're stupid," Rosalie sighed.

"But they wouldn't be our men if they weren't," Alice giggled.

"Amen to that," Rosalie laughed.

* * * * * *

I watched the clock on the classroom wall. Time seemed to be passing in lightning speed, and at the same time it dragged on at a snail's pace.

It was the last period before lunch, and I was dreading what was to come. I wasn't sure if I would be able to go through an entire lunch period sitting next to Edward, but not being able to touch him or tell him that I loved him.

I was acutely aware of the CD in my bag, and it was as if it was burning a hole in it with its mere presence. It was screaming at me to give it to Edward, but I didn't know when or how I was going to do it.

It felt like such a silly idea now. How could I ever think that a CD would make even the slightest difference? If Edward didn't know me when he looked at me and shook my hand, what made me think that a CD would make everything okay? Maybe he would take it the wrong way, and think I was some crazy stalker or something. How else would I know he had been looking for that particular CD forever?

The bell rang and I let out a silent groan as I left my seat and followed the flow of students out into the hallway, and towards the cafeteria. When I got there, I immediately spotted Emmett standing in line with Edward.

"Hey Bella!" Emmett hollered when he saw me. I smiled at him as stepped up to them. Edward glanced at me, but he soon turned his back to me. I tried not to let it get to me.

"How was class?" I asked casually, my voice calm and collected even though my insides were anything but. Emmett glanced at Edward's back, before he looked back at me with a sad smile. He knew that I was trying to act like everything was fine, and he also knew that it was just that.

_An act._

"A bitch, as usual," Emmett replied. He grabbed and tray and began filling it up.

We paid for our food and went over to our usual table, where the others were already seated. I don't think it was an accident that I ended up sitting next to Edward.

_Were they trying to kill me or something?_

I picked at my food with my plastic fork, and my eyes kept darting to Edward even though I tried not to.

"How is Phil?" Alice asked, effectively bringing me out of my stupor. I shot my eyes to her and immediately felt bad. I had thought about nothing but Edward for the entire morning, and I had almost forgotten all about Phil.

"I saw him at the hospital yesterday… he looked like a mess, but at least he was awake. That was actually the reason Mom woke me up from… you know…" I said quietly and the others nodded in understanding.

"You think we could visit him after school?" Rosalie asked, and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Why would they want to see him? Rosalie seemed to sense my confusion because she added, "Because it would be nice to _feel _him, you know?" She gave me a pointed look and I nodded.

It felt weird to have to speak in riddles, just because Edward no longer knew what the hell was going on. I was back to acting like I was just a normal kid, and that didn't work well for me. There was a reason why I never had any friends before we moved back. I always felt like I was going to say something to ruin the charade.

Edward stood up abruptly from the table, surprising – and confusing – us all.

"I'll see you guys later," was all he said before he stormed off.

I followed him with my gaze and sighed.

"He'll come around, don't worry," Jasper said to me and I gave him a humorless smile.

"You don't know that," I replied curtly.

"I've been keeping track on him today. I figured he might daydream considering how tired he was… and I was right," Jasper said and leaned back on his chair with his hands behind his head. He looked very pleased with himself.

"If you tell me he's been daydreaming of you and that's why you look so pleased with yourself right now, then please keep that to yourself," I joked and the others laughed. They didn't need to know I was worried that he might have been daydreaming about someone else, like Jessica or Lauren…. _Did he remember Tanya?_

The fact that he was daydreaming at all was scary enough as it was, since it meant he had officially lost his powers. A Dreamcatcher never daydreams, at least not in a way that made it possible for someone like Jasper to catch it.

"He was daydreaming about a meadow," Jasper said and smirked a little. "I assume that means something to you."

My eyes widened in surprise and my heart swelled in my chest.

_Our meadow._

"Was he alone?" I couldn't help but ask, and I tried not to be disappointed when Jasper nodded.

"Yeah, but look at it from the bright side," Jasper prompted, "if the meadow is the first thing that comes to mind for him, when he daydreams, that means he's still aware on some level that it's an important place. Just give the guy some time and he'll figure out you're important too."

"How much time?" I asked with a sad smile, making the others share a look.

There was nothing but pity in their eyes, and it irritated me. I didn't need their pity, I needed Edward. Their pity did nothing to help the situation. All it did was to make me feel even worse.

"We still have time to discuss another matter," Rosalie said, effectively changing the subject. "Care to tell us now what went down on Saturday night?"

I looked around the cafeteria, to make sure nobody was listening in to our conversation, before I relayed everything that had happened. I explained how I had woken up in the Sanctuary, and searched for Edward even though I knew better. I didn't give them all the details – like how Riley taunted me by suggesting he was my new soul mate now – I only told them what was relevant.

Like the details on how I had jumped him and started to drain him, even though I had no idea what I was doing at the moment. I told them how naturally it came to me to drain Riley.

The weird look Alice shared with Jasper did not escape my notice.

"What?" I said to them when I had finished my story. "What's with the look?"

"Bella… the thing you did," Alice said slowly and shot Jasper another look, "it shouldn't come naturally to you. To drain someone is not natural for a Dreamcatcher and it shouldn't been that easy for you to just… fall into."

"What are you saying?" I asked with my voice rising. "That there's something wrong with me? Is that what you're saying?"

"No, I'm not saying that, not at all," Alice said and patted my hand on the table. "It just means… I don't know what it means, exactly. Just that it's a dangerous thing. The fact that you almost overpowered Riley all by yourself speaks volumes on how strong you are. Stronger than we knew, and in this case it can be a good thing, since you can easily bring him down now. But when that is done…" she trailed off with a sigh and frowned before she continued. "When all is said and done, it can be a dangerous thing for you if you catch other people's dreams, especially if you chose to interfere. You can drain them and make them into shells without even meaning to, _without even trying_."

I felt stupid for not thinking about it sooner. Alice was right; this shouldn't have come naturally to me. A Dreamcatcher wasn't supposed to hurt people. A Dreamcatcher was supposed to help people to solve their issues in their unconscious state. Not drain them to the point where they were nothing but puppets to the Catcher that drained them.

_Had I become a Dreamhunter without realizing it?_

"Does this mean I'm no better than Riley?" I asked in a quiet voice. "Am I a Hunter now too?"

"No, don't be silly!" Rosalie protested. "Of course you're not."

This was not good news, and this was an issue we did not know how to handle. What were we supposed to do now? I was the only Catcher left in our group, but I would not be able to help anyone ever again because I would drain them if I did.

I would have laughed at the irony of it all, if it hadn't been inappropriate.

_So not the time and place for a mental breakdown._

It was nothing if not ironic that now, that I had finally started to figure things out regarding my gift, I was no longer allowed to use it for what it was intended to be used for.

I was supposed to help people. That was what dreamcatching was all about.

"You shouldn't worry about that, though," Alice said, "let's worry about bringing Riley down first. We can figure out the other stuff later."

"About that," I said, "do you think I caused any permanent damage? I mean, since Mom woke me up before I was done, will it be possible for him to re-charge and be at full power again the next time I see him?" For some reason that made Rosalie laugh. It was a carefree and happy laugh, as if I had said something really funny.

"Oh dear God, Bella," she giggled. "Of course you caused permanent damage. Can't you feel it? The power? It's so strong I can't even describe it. It's like you have ten times the power you usually have. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you had already drained him. No person can have that much energy without having drained someone else. Even if you didn't drain him completely I doubt he could ever recover from whatever you did to him. It won't take much to end him now."

"What will happen when I do?" I asked. "Will the same thing happen to him that happened to Edward?"

"I guess so," Rosalie replied slowly, but Jasper shook his head at the same time.

"I'm not so sure about that," Jasper said. "The guy has been a Dreamhunter for so long, it has probably enhanced everything about him. Making everything more permanent, including his memories and knowledge about dreamcatching and all that. I don't think draining will have the same affect on him as it did on Edward. Of course, it's just a theory… but it makes sense."

We let that theory sink and thought it over for a moment. Jasper was right, his theory made sense. Riley was in so much deeper than Edward and me. The power and the hunting was such a big part of him now, that if he lost it he would lose himself in the process.

Neither Edward nor I had ever let ourselves be consumed by our gift. We had always been able to separate ourselves from it. Riley could not. He was nothing without his gift. Not anymore anyway. He let himself be consumed by his need for more power, and now he would have to pay the price for it.

"So what do you think will happen when she finally kicks his ass?" Emmett asked, breaking the silence. Jasper looked at me when he answered.

"He'll probably be pissed off, but there won't be anything he can do about it. He will be as harmless as Newton," Jasper said with a lazy smirk. Emmett sighed deeply and threw out his arms dramatically as he leaned back on his chair.

"Why didn't I get the cool power? I would kill for the opportunity to kick his ass!" Emmett exclaimed loudly – a little_ too_ loudly, making the students by the nearby tables flinch away and look at him awkwardly. We all chuckled and Emmett grinned.

"Speaking of power, though… how is Lauren?" I asked, pointing my question at Rosalie and Jasper. They both turned to look over at her, before looking back at me.

"She's still not back to normal, but it might be a while before she is," Rosalie replied with a shrug.

"She's well enough to be daydreaming anyway…" Jasper added and chuckled under his breath. He appeared amused at whatever he saw in her daydreams, which peeked Emmett's curiosity.

"What is she dreaming?" Emmett asked and leaned forward with sparkling eyes.

"I don't think Bella would be comfortable hearing this," Jasper said with a laugh. "since it involves Lauren and Phil… but for some reason they're not wearing much of anything…"

"Ewww, gross," I muttered and pushed my chair back. "I think I just lost my appetite." I picked up my bag and threw it over my shoulder, before picking up my tray. "I'll see you guys later."

I threw away my food before making my way out of the cafeteria. I didn't know what I was going to do for the rest of the lunch break, but I figured I could always go outside and get some fresh air before the next class. I needed to clear my head.

I steered towards the main entrance, but just as I rounded the corner someone smashed right into me. My bag slipped from my shoulder and fell to the floor – effectively spreading my stuff all over the place. At least I managed to keep upright, and not fall down.

"Woah, sorry," I said automatically, even though it wasn't my fault. I looked up to see who it was that I crashed into, even though I had a weird feeling that I already knew.

Maybe that was why I wasn't surprised when it was Edward's face I found staring back at me.

"Totally my fault. Let me help you with your stuff," he said politely as he crouched down on the floor. I mirrored him and began gathering the stuff that was closest to me. "What's this?" he said suddenly and I looked up. He was staring at me with a look full of confusion and bewilderment as he held up the CD.

_Shit. The CD._

"It's… it's…" I stuttered as he turned the CD over in his hands.

His hand froze when he saw the post-it, which was still attached to it.

"'_Afraid to remember… terrified to forget_…'" he read quietly. A soft frown graced his features and I quickly grabbed the CD from his hands. He looked up surprised and smiled sadly at me. "Unrequited love?" he asked.

"Yeah, something like that…" I murmured in response and put the CD back in my bag.

We stood up and he shot me a crooked smile.

"It's a fitting CD though," he said, "very emotional, and fitting to give to an unrequited love." I could see the familiar spark in his eyes as he spoke about the music and the CD. I could have stood there all day just looking at him as he spoke about his music. "I have actually been looking for that particular CD forever… where on earth did you get it?"

His eyes were still sparkling and I was momentarily speechless. _God, his eyes are beautiful._

"Music Mania… down at the mall," I managed to spit out after an eternity of silence, "but it was the last one."

"Just my luck," he sighed. "Oh well, hope your guy likes it. It really is a great CD."

He shot me another smile, before he passed me and continued to his destination.

I bit my lip and picked up the CD from my bag again. I dug for a pen, and proceeded with scratching out what I had written on the Post-It before.

In its place I wrote: "_Unrequited love blows."_

I threw a look over my shoulder, to make sure Edward was out of sight. Then I rounded the corner and steered my steps to his locker. I quickly dialed the combination on the lock, since I knew his combination even better than I did my own. Yes, we had been_ that_ kind of couple.

I took a last look on the CD and took a deep breath before putting it on the top shelf, where he would spot it immediately the next time he opened his locker.

I smiled to myself as I locked it all up again.

_Unrequited love blows._

_Tell me about it._


	28. Catch 22

**A/N:** I usually don't have a playlist for my chapters, but I think it should be said that I had the same song on repeat during the entire time I wrote this chapter.

The song was: "_**End Credits**_" with **Chase & Status**.

Check it out on YouTube, it sets the tone for the entire chapter, and it's an awesome song.

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 27 – "****Catch-22****" **

"I have had dreams and I have had **nightmares**.

I overcame the **nightmares** because of my dreams._**"**__**  
**_ ~ _anonymous_

* * *

Rosalie and Jasper were the only ones that accompanied me to the hospital after school. Emmett and Alice were going to the mall with Edward. They were going to check out if Riley was there and if he was; they would find out in what condition he was in. We knew that the smartest thing to do would have been to send Rosalie on that mission, since she could have sensed what kind of power he still had, but we all agreed that Phil needed her more. She needed to see him, in order to find out if he was still connected to Riley.

Of course, Edward knew nothing about our plans. He thought nothing of it when Emmett asked if he wanted to join them to the mall. He probably just figured he would spend some time in the music store and maybe buy a few new CD's, before joining Emmett to the sporting goods store to pick up some new equipment. Just a normal day at the mall, no biggie, and definitely no meetings with the enemy.

_Oh, how wrong he was…_

"You're frowning," Jasper noted and threw me a look. "You shouldn't worry so much, you'll get worry lines. According to Alice, that is the equivalent to the death sentence for women." Rosalie snorted at that and I couldn't help but chuckle. That was such an Alice thing to say.

Jasper was driving my car and I sat between him and Rosalie. We didn't speak much on our ride over to the hospital and for that I was glad. I loved all four of my freaky friends, but I was glad that it was Rosalie and Jasper who was with me right then. If Alice had been with us, there would not have been a second of silence, since she would have gone on and on about nothing of importance, because that was her way to handle uncomfortable situations. And if Emmett had been with us, he would have made stupid jokes about Edward's amnesia and ask us 'what else' Riley might have 'drained' from him.

Neither Jasper nor Rosalie made stupid jokes like that, and neither of them made rants about nothing. They didn't talk if they didn't have anything of value to say. That was why I appreciated them a little more than usual, as Jasper parked the car near the entrance of Forks Hospital.

I climbed out of the car and Rosalie almost immediately hooked her arms with mine. I gave her a curious look and she smiled.

"What? You're overflowing with power, I thought you could share some," she said and I rolled my eyes.

"That's a pretty tacky joke, Rose," I said with a pointed look and she laughed.

"Who's joking?" she asked and I didn't even bother responding to that.

We made our way inside and they let me lead the way to Phil's room.

When we entered his room I was immediately struck by how much weaker he looked today. The skin on his face looked as if it was only loosely draped over his skull, like he had somehow lost twenty pounds since yesterday. He looked think and sick, and if I didn't know any better I would have thought he was lying on his deathbed. With his eyes closed it almost looked like he was already dead.

_Maybe he was…_

"Hey brother," I said quietly and sat down on the edge of the bed. His eyes fluttered open and gave me a strained smile.

"Hey you…" he replied with a weak voice. My eyes welled up with tears at how defeated and weak he sounded. I looked away from his face and met Rose's gaze instead. The light frown on her face told me that whatever she sensed from him wasn't good.

I bit my lip and looked over at Jasper. He was standing by the foot of the bed and he too was frowning. Neither of them said anything, so I looked back at Phil who now had his eyes closed again.

"How are you feeling?" I felt stupid for even asking that, since it was obvious he was not doing very well.

"I'm… I'm alright," Phil said without opening his eyes. "I'm getting better… I'm sure…" His voice trailed off. I grabbed his hand that rested on his stomach and gave it a squeeze. He a soft smile graced his lips and I smiled back, even though he couldn't see.

"Of course you're getting better. You'll get over this… this is nothing. You've been through worse," I rattled on. A choking sound escaped from his throat and it sounded as if he had tried to chuckle.

"Yeah… worse…" he echoed with a smile.

"Is there anything I could get you? Water? Food? Candy?" I asked and he opened his eyes.

"A stripper would be nice…" he said with a smile.

Jasper choked on his laugh and I shot my eyes to him. He put his hand to his mouth to muffle the laugh that escaped and my eyes widened in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me, Jasper? That's not funny!" I snapped and Rosalie chuckled too.

"It's a little funny…" she said and I huffed.

"You should listen to your friends, Bells, don't take life so seriously… it might end sooner than you think… and then where will you be?" Phil asked with a tired sigh.

"Don't talk like that. You're not gonna die. This is nothing, you'll be fine!" I protested loudly and Rosalie put her hands on my shoulders.

"Calm down, Bella, this is not the time and place to have a breakdown…" she was teasing, but I could hear the serious undertone. She was right, though, this was not the place for this. I sighed and tried to get control over my emotions. I looked back down at Phil and he was back to having his eyes closed.

"I love you, don't you dare let him win…" I whispered, as a tear fell down my cheek.

"As long as you're alive… he'll never win…" he said so quietly I almost didn't hear him. His breathing evened out and a few moments later it was evident that he had fallen asleep. I sighed deeply and wiped the tears from my cheeks.

"We have a problem," Jasper said, breaking the tense silence in the room.

"I know we do," I replied. "My brother is sick and there is nothing I can do to help him…"

"No, I mean… we have a _problem_," he said again and I looked at him confused.

"I said, _I know_," I said, feeling slightly irritated, but the irritation dissipated as soon as I saw the look in Jasper's face. He was frowning deeply and looked oddly distressed. Crap. That was not a good face. I turned to Rosalie, hoping to see something to give me some hope. But the Jasper's distress was mirrored in her face as well. "Rose… what did you feel?"

"He's still connected to Riley… Riley is still using energy from him," Rosalie said and I felt my heart drop.

"He was going in and out of his daydreams during your whole conversation… and I saw a lot of glimpses of Riley… Rose's right, they're still connected. Riley can still influence Phil," Jasper added.

"But… he told me to stop him… Phil can't be a shell, he told me he loved me, he told me to win. He told me…" my voice cracked on a sob and I felt the panic rise. My body and mind obviously didn't care that this wasn't the time and place for a breakdown, but there was nothing I could do to keep it from happening.

"Bella, Bella… listen to me," Rosalie said and sat down beside me on the bed. "He's not a shell. Riley is too weak to make him into one, but he's still using their connection to gain some energy. At this point, Phil's energy is all Riley has…"

"And what are we gonna do now? Can we break the connection? The book said that you can't reverse the effect of someone becoming a shell, other than to kill the Hunter himself in one of the Shell's dreams…" I said.

"But if that's true, how come Lauren went back to normal? Well… almost normal, anyway," Rosalie asked, looking slightly confused. We all looked at each other.

_That was a damn good question…_

"Maybe the effect reverses itself if the Hunter stops draining the person before it's too late, maybe if he went on to other victims or something?" Jasper suggested.

"Whatever it is, Lauren is obviously getting back to normal, and there is no reason for us to believe that Phil won't get there too. We should focus on bringing Riley down," Rosalie said.

"So what do you suggest we do?" I asked with a tired sigh.

"I suggest we go to the mall," she smirked.

* * * * *

The mall. The place where people go to die. I hated the mall. I've never been a mallrat and the fact that Riley worked there only added to my hatred for the place. Alice had texted us earlier and told us that Riley was indeed at work, she added that he looked like shit and that made me feel a little better.

Alice, Emmett and Edward were waiting for us by the entrance when we got there.

I tried to keep my focus on the quest at hand, and not on the fact that Edward was looking at me. Like, _really_ looking at me. I looked down at the ground as I followed the others into the mall. Edward soon fell into step beside me.

"I won't even ask how the hell you got the combination to my locker." His voice was clipped and cold, and it sent shivers down my spine. I had to keep telling myself that this was the old Edward, not _my_ Edward, and that I should not be offended by the way he spoke to me. He didn't know me, after all, so there was no reason for him to be nice to me. Even though he had been pretty nice earlier…

_Damn it, I knew that giving him that CD was a mistake._

"I guess I just have a knack for breaking combinations…" I fibbed half-heartedly and he snorted quietly.

"I don't know who you are or what you're trying to do here. But I don't know you, so I would appreciate it if you stopped leaving presents with creepy notes in my locker," he said. His voice was low so the others didn't hear him, which of course made everything feel so much worse.

"I'm sorry, I just thought I'd be nice, since you loved the CD so much," I mumbled.

"What happened to your unrequited love? Wasn't it supposed to be his?" he hissed back. "If you pulled this creepy shit on him too, then it's no fucking wonder that the love was unrequited."

I hadn't realized that the others had stopped in front of us, so I walked – head first – right into Emmett. I almost lost my balance but he grabbed my arms before I fell.

"Woah, walk much?" Emmett teased with a smile.

"Yeah, but apparently not enough," I joked back with a forced smile.

Emmett shot a look over my shoulder and frowned a little.

"Can you be even more of an ass?" he asked Edward.

"I don't get it," Edward snapped back. "Who is this chick anyway?"

"This _chick_ happens to be our friend, alright?" Rosalie said with a scary calm voice. "So stop being such a douche. She hasn't done anything to you, so what the hell are you bitching about?"

"She left a fucking CD in my _locker_ with a creepy ass note. That's what I'm bitching about." He sounded beyond frustrated and I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. I bet nothing made sense to him anymore. He woke up one morning, and suddenly there was a new girl in their group and he had no idea where the hell she came from or why the hell his friends cared so much.

He didn't know.

"If you're gonna be an ass to Bella, maybe you should go home, Edward," Alice said as she crossed her arms over her chest, and gave him a pointed look. "Bella is our friend, and you better learn to live with it."

He looked at his friends incredulously before his eyes landed on me.

"_Who_ the fuck are you?" he asked exasperatedly.

"To you? I'm nobody," I replied in a weak voice.

He sighed and nodded.

"That must be the sanest thing you've said today," he said, before turning around and walking back the way we came.

I watched him go and heard the others sigh.

"This is so fucked up," Emmett said.

"No kidding," Jasper agreed.

I bit my lip as I remembered one of the last things my Edward told me before we parted.

"_I love you too, Bella, always."_

What a load of crap. He had been wrong. So freaking wrong. He had proven to me now what I had known all along. Someone like Edward could not love someone like me if the universe didn't interfere. A girl like me would never get a happy ending. Freaks rarely did.

"Come on, Bella," Alice said and tugged at my arm. "We have another ass to deal with right now."

I followed them to Music Mania and we stopped right by the entrance. We watched as Riley unpacked and put up new CD's at the News-section. Alice had been right when she had told us he looked like hell, but I couldn't find any comfort in that at all.

It didn't matter how bad he looked, he was still hurting the people I loved. His appearance didn't change that fact, so how could I feel better about it?

He looked up when we entered the store and his eyes fell on me. I noticed that he had deep dark circles under his eyes, and his cheeks were sunken in. He looked just as sick and weak as Phil did and that only increased my anger. How dare he look so sick when he was still draining energy from my brother?

He straightened up as we approached him and he kept his eyes on me.

"Why, hello there, sweetie," he said with a sickly sweet voice. "What can I do you for?"

"You can go to hell," I suggested with a sarcastic smile.

"Only if you'll join me," he said without missing a beat.

"Watch it, buddy," Emmett said and Riley gave him a bored look.

"And who the hell are you? Her body guard? Sorry to burst your bubble there, big guy, but this one is feisty, she can take care of herself," Riley said and pointed to me with his thumb.

"Oh, I know. You don't have to tell me. I've seen her kick your ass before," Emmett said and crossed his arms over his chest, making himself look even more intimidating than he already was. But of course, Riley wasn't scared.

"Just a lover's quarrel, isn't that right, Bella?" Riley asked and looked back at me.

"You disgust me," I spat and he laughed humorlessly.

"Of course, I am. But that's only because I won," he taunted.

That was all the encouragement I needed before I jumped at him. He was, obviously, not prepared for my attack as he stumbled backwards and tripped over a box of CD's behind him, making him fall on his back and bringing me down with him. I clawed at his face and kept his arms at bay by pushing my knees down on his forearms.

"I HATE YOU! YOU'VE RUINED MY FUCKING LIFE! I HATE YOU!" I yelled as I scratched, punched and clawed at his face and chest. He wriggled underneath me and tried to escape my hands, but he wasn't strong enough to get me off him. I once again got that strange, pleasant, feeling of having the upper hand. "I'm going to fucking kill you!" I said through clenched teeth. My hands kept clawing at him and it was as if the rest of the world didn't even exist anymore.

Riley and I were embedded in a dark bubble. Nothing existed there. Nothing surrounded us but darkness. The only things existing in our dark bubble were Riley and me. And the only thing I cared about was to kill him.

I wanted him dead.

No. I _needed_ him dead.

"_Bella! Bella! Stop it! You're killing him!"_ I heard the voice as if it came through a tunnel and it took me a moment to recognize it as Rosalie's. I felt strong arms grab a hold of me and pull me off of Riley. The black bubble burst and I was shot back to reality. Suddenly the rest of the world existed again.

"I'm killing him?!" I asked incredulously. "Of course I'm killing him! What the hell did you stop me for?" I yelled at nobody in particular as I tried to wriggle out of Emmett's death grip on my arms. He finally got the hint and let me go.

"That's exactly why we had to pull you out!" Rosalie said, putting her hands on either side of my face and turning my face so I was looking at her. "I wasn't talking about Riley."

"What the hell are you talking about then?" I asked confused and irritated. "I had him!"

"Oh silly Bella," Riley said from the floor. He had yet to get up. "She's talking about Phil. By hurting me, you're hurting him. You cannot kill me without killing your brother."

"That's a lie!" I protested and Riley chuckled darkly from the floor.

"Keep telling yourself that," he said. "I honestly don't mind if you do, because it's not my ass you will kick when this is all over, it's your own when you realize that I was right."

"Come on, Bella, let's go…" Rosalie said but I showed no sign of moving.

Emmett sighed as he grabbed me again and lifted me up and carried me out. No one said anything until we reached the parking lot, and we huddled together by my car.

"What did you see, Jasper?" Rosalie asked. We all turned to look at Jasper and he shook his head.

"This isn't right," he began, "I'm not supposed to see what people are thinking. I'm not a fucking mind-reader. I'm only supposed to see people's daydreams… and yet… I could see almost everything that was going on in Riley's head and I could see Phil, and through the connection they have." He sighed and gave me a sad look. "I'm sorry, Bella, but Riley is right. I could see it. If you kill him, you will kill your brother in the process."

"At this point, I think Phil is working as a battery for Riley, and the reason that he wasn't drained the last time, apart from your mom waking you up, is because he was connected to Phil and used up his energy too, which prolonged the entire process," Rosalie suggested. "It makes sense, right?"

"But if I don't kill Riley, he will always be connected to Phil because he will keep draining energy from him… and who knows? Riley might get enough energy back to re-charge and continue his hunting-spree," I said. "Phil will never be free. He will never get well… Phil will never go back to normal…"

An awkward silence fell over our group as we all let that piece of information sink in.

"We're damned if we do, and we're damned if we don't," Emmett said quietly after a moment. "It's a catch 22. We can't win this." We all nodded. I'm sure my mind wasn't the only one that was going a hundred miles a minute in an attempt to come up with a solution.

I couldn't think of anything and as I looked at my friends I could see that neither of them had anything either. We were screwed and my brother was doomed either way.

It was up to me to choose what we were going to do. I had to decide my brother's fate.

"I'm going to the hospital…" I said quietly.

"I'll drive you," Jasper said and picked up the keys from his pocket.

"Will you call us later?" Alice asked. I nodded softly and she wrapped me into a tight hug. "Don't feel bad, Bella, do what you have to do. It doesn't matter what you chose. The choice you make will be the right one," she whispered in my ear. I choked back a sob as she let me go, and I saw her eyes were glossy with unshed tears.

This was killing my friends too. This wasn't all about me. It was about all of us.

"We love you, Bella," Rosalie said softly and stroked my arm.

"I love you too," I said quietly, I was afraid my voice couldn't carry any louder. I walked around to the passenger side of my car and climbed in. Jasper was already behind the wheel and he turned the ignition as soon as I was in.

He didn't say anything until we had left the parking lot behind us.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, with his eyes on the road.

"I… I don't know," I whispered. His right hand left the wheel and he reached out and grabbed my hand, and he held it between us on the seat.

"I'm sorry," was all he said.

"Me too."

* * * * *

Mom was there when Jasper and I entered Phil's room. She shook Jasper's hand as I did the awkward introductions.

"How is he doing?" I asked her.

"He's doing just fine," Phil replied for himself. His voice was impossibly even weaker than earlier and he didn't even bother to open his eyes now. I had thought he was asleep.

"He refuses to eat," Mom complained, "even though he needs the energy."

I cringed instinctively at her choice of words. I would never look at the word 'energy' the same way again, that's for sure.

"I'm gonna eat… I'm just not feeling it right now," Phil said as he forced his eyes open. "Why don't you go home? I'm sure Bella and… _Jasper_ can keep me company while I eat. They could catch me up on all the drama from school…"

Mom sighed, as she wringed her hands together. She didn't want to leave, but she couldn't refuse her sick son's wishes either. I knew she couldn't refuse him when he said he wanted to get caught up on teen-stuff, he needed to be a teenager too and not just the sick kid.

She reluctantly agreed and left without much argument. Jasper closed the door when she had left, so we could be left alone. This would be hard enough without an audience.

"What's the verdict?" Phil asked with his eyes closed again.

"We met Riley…" I began and felt myself tear up immediately.

"Yeah? Did you kick his ass?" he smiled lazily. I chuckled softly.

"I did actually… but not hard enough. He deserves so much worse," I said.

I pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down. I grabbed Phil's hand and held it in both of mine.

"At least you tried…" he sighed quietly. He was about to fall asleep again. I could tell.

"But not hard enough…" I mumbled, mostly to myself.

Jasper crouched beside me and smiled softly at me.

"He's daydreaming…" he said quietly. "I see Riley…"

I closed my eyes and sighed. I leaned forward and rested my forehead against mine and Phil's clasped hands on the bed.

"What do you see?" I asked in a weak voice.

"Riley is weak… he's sitting down somewhere… looks like the storage area of the store…" Jasper replied.

"Can I… can I fight him?" I had to force the words out, as if my mouth didn't want to form them.

"I think you could…" Jasper said, stroking my hair, "Phil is already about to pass out, if you fell asleep now you could end this very quickly."

I nodded and took a deep breath.

"I'm so sorry, Phil… I'm so sorry…" My voice was muffled by the comforter on the bed, but the sadness and desperation in my tone was not.

"I'll be here when you wake up… you won't have to go through this alone," Jasper said reassuringly. I nodded, but did not lift my head.

I focused on my breathing, making it deep and regular. My body recognized the signs of what I was trying to do and I could feel myself relax automatically. It was easier to fall asleep on demand than I thought. Maybe it was because my mind and body both knew I had to fall asleep, and neither of them wanted to make it harder on me, or maybe it was due to my ability. Now that I had finally gained control over my gift, maybe that meant I could control my own sleep better too. Maybe my new boost of energy had something to do with it and maybe it was much thanks to Jasper too. He had a very calming effect on me as he kept stroking my hair and telling me it would all be alright.

If I didn't know any better I would think he felt bad for something, or maybe this was just him being a good friend. I was not used to have people, other than my family, caring for me, but it was not uncomfortable at all to have Jasper there. I felt safe with him.

I took another deep breath and I sighed when I didn't feel any different.

I was just about to sit up straight and give up when I realized I wasn't sitting on the chair next to Phil's bed anymore. I was standing on a cliff, looking out over the ocean. I recognized the place immediately. It was one of the cliffs at First Beach.

The cliff and the ocean were beautiful in the real world, but it didn't hold a candle to the sight I was met by now. The ocean was the most beautiful tropic blue and the sky was painted with a million colors, as the sun was inching its way down towards the horizon. Even the trees, that were surrounding the cliff, were greener and prettier than usual.

It was beyond beautiful.

I turned my head to my right and saw Phil standing next to me. His eyes were closed and his face was relaxed, as if he didn't have a care in the world. I couldn't fight the smile that escaped when I looked at him. He didn't look ill anymore, he looked like himself. No hollow cheeks and deep dark circles under his eyes.

_This_ was my brother and not the sick guy back at the hospital.

I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"_You look good_," I noted. He looked back at me and nodded.

"_I don't feel tired anymore," _he said and even his voice sounded normal again.

"_The wonders of dreams…" _I replied with a smile. He smiled too, but it soon faded and was replaced by a frown.

"_Riley." _He didn't need to say more to remove the smile from my face too.

"_I promise you, I will get him…"_ I assured him.

He sighed and looked back at the ocean.

"_This is pretty much it for me, isn't it_?" he said quietly, but he didn't sound sad.

I was quiet for a moment before I answered him. I wanted to give him a good answer, but I knew that the good answer would not be the honest one.

"_Yeah,"_ I whispered.

He looked at me with a crooked smile.

"_Riley did something you can't undo," _he said as a statement, not a question.

"_He has been using up your energy, you have a connection now. If he dies, you'll die. And if you live, he'll live. We have tried to go around it, but it's impossible. You two are tied together in a way we can't fight," _I explained in a whisper.

"_What would happen if I died before him?" _he asked casually.

"_He would lose the energy you provide him and he's too weak to be able to find another source, so I could drain him and remove his gift without much effort," _I replied matter-of-factly.

He nodded as he let my words sink in. He took a deep breath of the fresh ocean air and smiled a broad genuine smile.

"_I love this place," _he said.

"_It's beautiful,"_ I agreed.

"_There is something I've always been wondering_…" he said and glanced at me with an amused smile,_ "is it possible to die in a dream?"_

I nodded.

"_If you die in your dreams, you die in real life…"_ I confirmed.

"_So, if I were to die in one of my dreams… the connection with Riley would be broken and he would become vulnerable enough so you could end him once and for all, and keep him from hurting other people…"_ he continued. I nodded slowly, slightly confused as to where he was going with all this.

"_Yeah, pretty much_," I agreed.

He was still smiling when he turned to me fully.

"_I love you, sis, you know that?"_ He said and I looked at him confused. _"I want everything in the world for you. And don't worry, you'll get your dreamguy in the end. From everything I've seen and heard in the last few weeks, there is little doubt in my mind that you guys won't end up together. You have friends that care about you and you have that freaky ability to help people. You are destined for greatness and you shouldn't need to worry about saving me, when there is a lot more people out there that needs saving. Riley can't get away with all the hurt and destruction he has caused." _I didn't like the way he sounded as he spoke, it all sounded so final.

"_Phil… why are you saying all this?" _I asked in a shaky voice.

He was smiling as he leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

"_Tell Mom and Dad that I love them and tell Lauren she meant a lot to me_," he said, his voice cracking and his calm façade fading. He wasn't even nearly as calm as he liked to pretend he was. _"Tell her… Tell her I love her, and that I will be watching over her, alright?" _

"_Phil… you don't need to do this,"_ I pleaded.

"_Yeah, I do… we both know that. That's why you brought me here. You were going to say good bye,"_ he said to me.

Silent tears fell from my eyes and I choked back a sob. He was right, I had brought him here to say goodbye. This place was a product of my ability. I had created this place, I had brought him here.

We both knew this was goodbye, I was just too selfish to let him go.

"_I love you, Phil,"_ I sobbed.

"_I love you too, little sis,"_ he said and wrapped his arms around me. _"In all your freaky glory."_ I chuckled despite myself and he chuckled too as he pulled back. _"Take care of yourself and don't you dare take the blame for this one. This is not your fault. Promise you won't let this get to you.. or else I'll haunt your ass down. Promise me that."_

"_I promise."_

"_Good." _

He smiled sadly and kissed my forehead one last time.

I smiled through my tears and watched him as he was stepping closer to the edge.

He glanced at me from over his shoulder and smiled at me.

"_I'll see you on the other side,"_ he said before taking the final step over the edge.


	29. Just Say Hello

**A/N:** We are beginning to close in on the end, only a couple of chapters and an epilogue to go… at least that's the plan ;-)

Anyhoo… I found myself with one song on repeat, again, as I wrote this chapter.

This time the song was: "_**Running up the hill" **_ with **Placebo.**

It's not necessary to listen to while you read, but I think it sets the tone pretty well, and it's a freaking awesome song and you should check it out on YouTube.

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 28 – "Just Say Hello" **

"A man who won't die for something is not fit to live."_**  
**_ ~ _Martin Luther King_

* * *

I don't know what day of the week it was. The days had come to blur together into an endless cycle of pain and misery. I felt mentally drained and I couldn't find it in me to even leave the bed. There was no point in doing that anyway. I had nothing to wake up for in the morning. My family was broken beyond repair and I had lost the love of my life. What was the point in even breathing anymore?

I was curled into a ball under the covers in my bed and my face was clammy with all the tears I had shed. I wanted to cry more, but no tears could leave my eyes. I had used up all my tears and for that I felt even worse. I couldn't even cry for everything I had lost. Instead, I was left to shake uncontrollably as my body rocked in tearless sobs.

How was it possible to be in so much pain, but without having any visible signs of injury?

I had promised Phil to revenge his death and make Riley pay. But how the hell was I supposed to do that when I couldn't even leave the bed? It had been easy to make that promise to him before he jumped, but when it all came down to it I… I just didn't know what the hell I was supposed to do. I hadn't really thought it all through when I let him sacrifice himself like that. It wasn't until I woke up by the shrill sound of the heart-monitor that I realized what I had done.

_Phil was dead – and it was my fault._

Doctors and nurses rushed into the room and began their attempt to save his life, but I knew they wouldn't be able to do anything. He was already gone and he would never come back.

Jasper had pulled me away from the bed and hugged me tightly to his body. I'd buried my face into his chest and let the tears fall. My sobs had been violent and I didn't even care that I got snot on his shirt. It hadn't seemed as if he cared, either. He had just kept on stroking my back and my hair, calming me with his mere presence.

Mom and Dad didn't take the news well, as expected I guess. Neither of them was speaking and neither of them was really there anymore. My family was broken apart by the news of Phil's death. Mom wanted to find someone to blame while Dad just stared into nothingness and dealt with the news by the only way he knew how; he shut down completely.

At some point, Mom had quit speaking. She no longer looked for someone to blame, instead she curled into herself, just like Dad, and didn't see or hear anything anymore.

A night or two ago, I had left my room for the first time in over 24 hours. It was almost three a.m. and I didn't expect anyone to be awake. But as I had walked past Mom and Dad's room, I had overheard them talking quietly to each other. I guess I wasn't the only one who couldn't' sleep.

"… _too many memories, we can't stay here, Charlie. Think of Bella, we can all benefit from a new start…"_

My heart still ached by the thought of Mom's broken voice. There had been no soul left in it. If a voice could ever feel empty, then hers would be the epitome of that. Although, it wasn't just her voice that hurt me, it was also the words of which she said.

_She wanted us to leave. _

That was a whole other issue which I didn't feel like dealing with right now. If we were going to leave Forks – again – then I would surely die. There would be no point in me existing anymore. My friends lived in Forks. The love of my existence was in Forks. How was I supposed to be able to just walk away from all that?

I didn't care if Edward hated me and thought that I was some crazy stalker-girl, he would still be the love of my existence and I wanted to be as close to him as I could. Even if it meant that I would be left to look at him from a distance or occasionally bump into him in the hallways in school. And he would still be my neighbor.

There was a light knock on the door, but I didn't even flinch.

Then there was another knock. Again, I was still as a statue, silently willing my demons to go away.

Another knock.

"Bella… it's just me and Jasper," Alice's soft voice reached me inside my bubble and I felt another wave of sobs wash over me. I heard the light creaking of the door as they opened it and stepped in.

"Bella," Alice's voice was pained and that only added to my sobbing. I felt her sit down on the bed before lying down. I couldn't see her, since I still had the covers over me, but I could feel her eyes on me. "You can't hide away here forever…" she said quietly.

I felt the mattress sink a little behind me as Jasper lay down and put an arm around me.

"It's not your fault," he said quietly.

"I'm never leaving this bed," I said with an embarrassingly hoarse and weak voice. I sounded like a prepubescent boy who had been crying for a week.

"Yes, you are," Alice said and stroked my head on top of the covers. "Phil wouldn't want this for you. He wouldn't want you to rot away like this. He would be pissed if he found out that this is your way of honoring his memory…" I chuckled despite myself and I could almost feel Alice smile in response.

"He would be pissed…" I agreed with an awkward chuckle.

"Your Dad let us in," Jasper said softly, "he told us the funeral is tomorrow… you want us to go with you?"

"I'm not going," I said. "I'm never leaving this bed."

"Of course you are, Bella, don't be silly," Alice sighed. "This is your final goodbye, and you'll hate yourself forever if you don't go."

Jasper gently tugged at the fabric that was covering my face and I felt the fresh air wash over me as my face was freed from the murkiness and darkness. I blinked at the light and tried to focus on Alice's face. I noticed she had tears in her eyes, and I envied her for being able to cry when I could not.

"We love you, Bella, we'll be with you every step of the way," she said and stroked my clammy cheek.

"Riley," was all I said and she smiled sadly.

"We'll be with you when that day comes too, but we don't need to worry about that right now. He's not a concern. All we care about right now is getting you back on your feet," Jasper said from behind me. I turned my head and met his gentle gaze.

"I killed my brother," I croaked.

"No, you didn't," Jasper protested gently and hugged me to him. "He sacrificed himself for the greater good. There was nothing you could have done. We would have lost either way, but this way Phil helped us prevent other people from getting hurt. Which, I guess, makes us the winners in all this…"

"I should have tried harder. I should have stopped Riley sooner. The signs were there from the beginning… why did I let it go this far? I should have killed him as soon as I saw him in Lauren's dream…" I said, my voice rising and cracking with each word.

"Could've, would've, should've… there is no point in dwelling on it," Alice said. "It will only drive you insane."

"I'll be sure to remind you of that when someone close to you dies," I muttered and I regretted the words as soon as I'd spoken them. Alice's face fell and she looked pained.

"Someone close to me _did_ die," she replied quietly, "I might not have known your brother, but a part of you died with him, and it hurts to see you like this and knowing you have to go through this." I didn't have an answer to that, so I just closed my eyes again.

"You'll get through this, Bella, you're stronger than you think," Jasper said quietly.

"Just because I am an overcharged battery doesn't mean I'm strong...," I argued.

"I wasn't speaking of your gift, I was speaking of _you_," he replied with a smile in his voice. "You, Bella, are stronger than you give yourself credit for. Your gift has nothing to do with-" He was cut off by the sound of my stomach grumbling and he chuckled quietly at the sound. I hadn't really eaten anything in days, it was a wonder I hadn't heard my stomach grumble earlier. "Maybe we should _catch _you some food…" he joked. Alice giggled and I rolled my eyes.

"Come on, Bella, we can't let you die from starvation," she said as she sat up and pulled me up with her. I gave her a tired look and she smiled softly. "Do you think your brother would have wanted that?"

I sighed shook my head. I had to leave this bed. I had to honor Phil's memory by doing what I promised him. I was going to end Riley once and for all. Then I would go on and live my life to the fullest. All else would be an insult to him.

* * * * *

I don't care that people say you should wear black on funerals, just because that's the color of sorrow; I was not going to do it. Phil wouldn't have wanted people do be dark and depressed, because that was everything that he was not. Phil was colorful, vibrant and happy, and his funeral should be mirroring that.

That was why I picked out my powder blue dress to wear to the funeral. It was knee-length and it hugged my curves in a casual, yet elegant, way. It wasn't slutty or anything and the only thing that wasn't appropriate for a funeral was the color, at least everybody else would think so.

Alice helped me get ready by doing my hair and just being there for me.

I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled sadly at my reflection. I didn't have any makeup on at all, since it would only get ruined anyway. My hair was hanging loose around my shoulders. Some of it was kept away from my face, and held in place in my neck by a beautiful butterfly hairclip, that Alice had given to me as a gift. The butterfly's wings were almost in the same powder blue as my dress.

"You ready?" Alice asked. I met her gaze through the mirror and smiled crookedly. She didn't have any makeup on either, not even her usual, casual eyeliner and mascara. I guess she was prepared to cry too.

"I will never be ready for this," I replied, "but I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

I grabbed my black clutch purse, which was another gift from Alice for this day and occasion, from my desk before following Alice downstairs. Each step I made down the stairs made me more nervous. I didn't know what to expect from this day.

Mom and Dad had left early for the cemetery, so I was getting a ride from Alice and Jasper. Emmett and Rosalie would meet us there.

I locked the front door behind me and Alice, before we made our way down to the curb where Jasper was waiting by the car. But I didn't get further than a few steps before I realized he wasn't alone.

Edward was there.

I quickly averted my eyes to the ground. I could not deal with him right now. If I had to see him look at me with that cold and hateful gaze, it would be too much. I would break down and I would never be able to get back up.

I walked over to the car and prepared myself to just climb into the car and let them take me to the funeral. But of course, nothing in my life was that easy.

Just as I was about to open my door, a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. The familiar sparks shot through my body and warmed me from the inside. I closed my eyes and tried to soak it all up. Maybe the feeling would help me get through today.

"Bella… I'm sorry for your loss," Edward whispered, "I'm so, so sorry…"

I tried to swallow back the lump in my throat.

"Thank you, Edward," I whispered back. "It means a lot…" _You have no idea how much._

Against my better judgment, I looked up at him and met his gaze. His green eyes were greener than usual in this light but the beauty of them was tarnished by the frown on his face.

At least there was no hatred there anymore, just confusion.

"Thank you," I said again.

He smiled his patented crooked smile, before letting go of my wrist. He said good bye to Alice and Jasper as he turned and headed back to his house.

"You're growing on him," Jasper said to me and I scoffed.

"I just lost my brother," I replied as I climbed in. "He can't hate someone whose brother died."

Jasper opened his mouth to answer but he shut it quickly when Alice glared at him. Alice knew this was neither the time nor place for dealing with that particular issue.

The drive to the cemetery was quick, quicker than I would have liked. I wasn't ready for this. Not even close.

Jasper parked next to Emmett's big jeep and I barely got to step out of the car before Emmett pulled me into a tight hug.

"Geez, Emmett, give the girl some space," Rosalie said irritated as she pulled him off me.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he let go. I tried to smile at him, to show him that it was okay, but I'm sure that what came out was anything but a smile.

I looked towards the graveyard and my legs almost gave out under me. How was I ever going to be able to go through this? I hadn't even completed the thought before Jasper put an arm around my waist and helped steady me. He could read me like a book, or maybe he could read minds after all?

I looked up at him and he gave me a comforting smile. We started walking towards the graveyard, and shills ran down my spine as we past gravestone after gravestone.

The Forks cemetery wasn't a big place, so it didn't take long for us to reach the hole in the ground which would soon be my brother's last resting place. The dark coffin was standing on the gear that would lower it into the ground after the ceremony. A big flower ornament was sitting on top of it and the thought that my brother was currently laying in that coffin made my legs weak.

I didn't even need to think this time, Jasper grabbed me and hold on to me before I even realized myself that my legs had given out.

"You'll be okay, you can do this…" he whispered quietly in my ear. "You're strong, remember that… you can do this…" He kept whispering encouraging words in my ear but they all blurred together to an unintelligible white noise.

I stared myself blind at the coffin, as more and more people showed up and gathered around. After a while I tried to look away from it, and the first people I saw was Mom and Dad. They stood across from me, on the other side of the coffin, and Dad had his arm around Mom's waist as she shook in silent sobs.

Lauren was there too, I could see her blond hair from behind a few of my relatives. Mike and Jessica were with her. Lauren was crying. I don't think I had ever seen her cry. Not like this anyway. It made her appear more human, like she wasn't such a bitch in real life.

I was so lost in my own little world that it didn't occur to me that the ceremony had even started, until the coffin suddenly was beginning to descend into the ground and people lined up to throw down flowers and a fistful of dirt into the hole.

Before I knew it, it was all over.

My brother was dead and buried. And I had missed it.

"Oh my god…" It was Rosalie that brought me out of my stupor and I looked up at her with empty eyes.

"What?" I asked with an even emptier voice.

"He showed up," Emmett continued. I looked at him confused and noticed that he wasn't looking at me. He was looking past me, towards the end of the graveyard. I followed his gaze and my eyes went wide when they reached their target.

_Riley James._

I didn't even think as I pushed myself from Jasper's comforting embrace, stalking towards Riley with much more confident in my steps than I felt. He was leaning casually against a tree but even that looked like it required great effort on his part. He looked impossibly even worse than last time. He must have lost over ten pounds over the past few days, he looked so thin. But no matter how thin his body, or how sunken his cheeks were, he still had that cocky look in his eyes. His eyes held the power that his body did not.

I stepped up to him and pushed him hard without thinking twice about it. He stumbled backwards before falling flat on his ass. His eyes flashed in anger. The deep blue circles under his eyes almost looked like, as if he had been punched repeatedly.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I spat angrily. The tears that had been absent during the whole ceremony began falling down my cheeks like the traitors they were.

"I'm paying my respects for my best friend's family, of course," he replied calmly.

He stood up from the ground and dusted off the dirt from his jeans.

"You were not his best friend. A best friend doesn't use people like you did!" I said with a shaky voice as more tears fell down my cheeks.

"At least _I _didn't kill him," he replied with a malicious smirk.

He hit me where it hurt the most and he knew it. He knew exactly which buttons to push.

"She didn't kill him," Rosalie said as she stepped up beside me. "We all know who the real killer is, and it sure as hell wasn't Bella."

"I wouldn't mind if we killed this dude though," Emmett said and stepped up on Rosalie's side, as Jasper and Alice brought up my other side.

If Riley was afraid of the thought of being outnumbered, he sure as hell didn't show it. He kept smirking and looking cocky, even though he looked to be on the brink of death already.

The monster didn't know when enough was enough.

The monster didn't know when it was time to call it quits.

The monster simply did not know when it was time to call it a day and go home.

"Killing him here would be a good thing, no?" Emmett said and glanced at us. "We're already in a graveyard, so we don't need to move his body."

"You can't kill me," Riley snarled.

"Oh yes, we can," Emmett argued.

"You sure about that? You might not agree with the way I've been using my power, but that doesn't mean I'm any less of a human being for it… are you sure you really want my blood on your hands? Once you kill me, you can never take it back. You will always be considered murderers. No matter what you say or do in the future, my death will always come back to haunt you," Riley said with a menacing voice. "You sure you want that?"

I bit my lip and as I took a step forward both Emmet and Jasper grabbed each of my hands to keep me back. I threw a look back at them and shook my head.

"Let me do this," I said. They looked at me for a moment before reluctantly letting go and I took another step forward to Riley. We were now standing merely a foot apart. I stared into Riley's cold and distant eyes.

"What exactly are you going to do?" he asked with a taunting tone.

"What I should have done on our first date," I replied calmly. I raised my hands and pressed my fingers to his temples. His eyes went wide and I couldn't help the smirk that formed on my lips. "I'm gonna drain you of every last drop of your power. If this means you'll die, then so be it… it will just be a sad consequence of what my initial purpose was. I didn't mean to kill you, I just meant to drain you," I explained calmly as if I spoke about nothing more serious than the weather. "If you die… then so be it. It's not considered murder if it's an accident."

I probably should have been worried about how casual I was about the whole thing. Like it didn't matter to me that I was most likely about to kill him. Maybe I was beyond caring about life or death, since I already had my brother's blood on my hands. How could anything be worse than that?

Riley stood paralyzed as I pressed my fingers harder against his temples.

The flow of power was weak at best. It was nowhere near as powerful as when I tried to drain him the first time. I guess there simply wasn't enough to take from anymore. He was pretty much drained already.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned my head.

"You can stop now, Bella," Rosalie said softly. "He's empty."

I looked back at Riley and let go of him. He sagged down to the ground as soon as we lost contact. His eyes were still wide. I silently wondered if it would be too much if I kicked his face in.

_Yeah, probably._

"Why did he die?" I asked, without pointing my question at anybody in particular, as I kept staring down at Riley.

"Phil?" Emmett asked and I nodded.

"Why did he have to die? If I had drained Riley before Phil jumped… why would that have ended Phil too?" I asked as nothing made sense to me anymore. Nothing about the situation did. All the questions I've ignored before came back to the surface. "Why did he have to die? Angela survived! Didn't she?!" I asked again, with more force and desperation behind my words.

"Phil and Riley were connected in a way that Angela wasn't…" Jasper explained quietly. "In the end, Phil needed Riley just as much as Riley needed Phil to survive. They lived off each other's energy. Phil's body was beginning to shut down and the only thing keeping him here was the connection he had with Riley, and neither one of them could close that connection. It was doomed from the beginning."

I stared down at Riley's body and took a deep breath. Was this it? Was it all over?

"Are we done here?" I asked with a tired sigh.

I flinched in surprise when Riley's body suddenly moved.

"Wha-wha-what?! Isn't he supposed to be dead? Dead people aren't supposed to move!" I shrieked. Someone pulled me back and I felt myself back into Emmett, who put his arms around me. Rosalie took a step closer to Riley's body, and we could all see how his chest rose and fell with each breath he took.

"No, draining him wouldn't kill him… just make him into the powerless asshole he was meant to be," she said and kicked his shoe just for the hell of it. Riley grumbled something in his unconscious state and Rosalie kicked him again.

His eyes fluttered open and he blinked a few times before looking around in confusion. He slowly sat up and looked at us. When his eyes landed on me I knew in an instant that Jasper had been wrong.

Jasper thought that the draining wouldn't have the same affect on Riley as it did on Edward. But it was clear in the way that Riley looked at me now, that that was not the case. Riley was just as blank as Edward had been.

_Riley didn't remember a thing._

"Bella? Is that you?" he asked, and I realized it was as if we had gone back in time. He was looking at me like he hadn't seen me in years. For him, I guess that was the case. He could still remember who I was, probably because his first memory of me wasn't related to my gift.

"Yeah," I said weakly.

"What is going on? Where am I?" he looked around and his eyes went wide. "A cemetery? What the hell?" he blurted. He stood up on wobbly legs and steadied himself against the tree that he had earlier been leaning against. "What are we doing here?" he asked and turned to look at me again.

"Nothing, nothing at all," I replied calmly, "it was nice seeing you again, Riley, but I have to go now." I turned around and quickly walked back to the parking lot. The others were hot on my heels and when I reached the car I turned around and faced Jasper. "You were wrong!" I said furiously to him. "You were wrong, Jasper!" He took a step back and held up his hands, as if he was showing me that he wasn't armed.

"What was I wrong about?" he asked cautiously.

"You told me that he would remember! You told me he would remember everything! He doesn't! He has no idea about what happened or what he did! He's back to being the good old Riley I knew when I was a kid! I _can't_ _hate _that Riley!" I was sobbing now. Jasper pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me, and I hit his chest with my fists. My hits were weak at best, but I had to get the desperate anger out of me somehow. "I can't hate someone who doesn't remember. That was the only thing I had left, Jasper! My hatred for the guy who killed my brother… and now I don't even have that. I have nothing." I stopped hitting him and collapsed in his arms.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't know... I was just theorizing… I didn't know any more than you did of what would happen… I'm sorry, Bella, I'm so sorry… I didn't know…"

"Maybe we should skip the reception…," Alice suggested quietly. "We should take her home."

I felt Jasper nod against my head before he let go of me. They helped me into the car, Jasper even helped me put on my seatbelt even though I could have done it myself if I had felt like it. But I wasn't. So what if I didn't have a seatbelt on? So what if we got into an accident? Death would be such a sweet relief right about now.

I leaned my head against the cool window and let myself be swallowed up by my misery.

A cheerful ringtone sounded through the car, a ringtone that couldn't belong to anyone else but Alice. It rang a few times before she managed to dig it out from her bag.

"Rose?" she answered, without even a 'hello'. "What?" she was quiet for a moment and I could hear Rosalie speak quickly from the other end. "Yeah… you're right… that's weird, that didn't even occur to me." Alice agreed. "It must have been something she did… uh-uh… yeah, I'm gonna fill them in…okay… bye."

"What did I do now?" I muttered.

"You drained Riley," Alice said.

"Yes, I did," I confirmed, losing interest in the topic already. We already knew what I had done in the cemetery, what was the point of bringing it up again?

"You drained him," she repeated and it almost irritated me. "But yet, he didn't pass out for days as he should have… he woke up almost instantly… how is that possible?"

I don't know why, but somehow I knew the answer to that. I smirked to myself as I kept gazing out the window.

"Because I didn't put him in the catcher's nightmare," I replied with an empty voice. "I drained it directly from him… I didn't want for him to be drained in a nightmare, I drew the power out myself."

"How… how did you know that?" Jasper asked, and turned his head quickly to glance at me before putting his attention back on the road.

"Just like I knew how to drain him in the first place," I replied quietly. "Instinct. It's in my blood."

I closed my eyes and took a deep cleansing breath.

I still had something I had to do before I was completely done with Riley. I had to get the journal back that he stole. I had a feeling that my weird, and unnatural, instincts would be explained there. There was a reason why this all came so naturally to me when it shouldn't.

My grandma had known it all along.

_I was special. _

* * * * *

It was almost one thirty in the morning and I still hadn't fallen asleep. I couldn't fall asleep. I couldn't even use my ability to fall asleep. I felt too restless. It felt as if I still had something I had to do before I could rest. I had unfinished business.

_Was this how ghosts felt? _

I didn't even know what to make of today, it had all been so overwhelming and confusing.

Phil was dead and buried six feet under.

Riley was drained – but far from dead - and had no clue of what he was responsible for doing.

I still didn't know where my instincts came from, or how I knew that my way of draining Riley had another effect than if I had put him in a catcher's nightmare. How did I know all this?

I didn't know.

What I _did_ know, however, was that I didn't want to be alone right now. But I wasn't in need for the company of my friends or family. There was only one person's company I craved at that moment, and that was the one single person who didn't want mine.

I wiped the tears, that I didn't even know I had shed, from my cheeks. New tears fell down almost instantly. I rose from the bed and left the room. There was one person I had to see right now. The meeting would be weird and it would probably be humiliating too. But I simply didn't care. I needed this._ I don't even care that it was the middle of the night. _He would probably think I was insane anyway.

A few minutes later, I was staring at the doorbell as if it would bit my finger off if I tried to use it. I had my arms tightly wrapped around myself, in a sad attempt to keep myself together. I gave myself a mental slap before finally ringing the doorbell and wrapping my arms around my shaking body again.

My whole life was falling apart around me and I needed someone to hold onto. Someone that wasn't a friend or a parent. And not just anyone. I needed _him._ But _he_ didn't even know who I was. He didn't know he was supposed to love me for eternity. He didn't know we belonged together. He didn't know that the universe had already decided that we were two halves of a whole. He didn't know he was supposed to be there for me.

He simply did not know.

_Just say hello._

His words echoed back to me and I tried to find strength in them.

It was cold outside but I didn't think that was why my body was shaking uncontrollably.

I rang the doorbell again and I soon heard muffled footsteps from inside, a moment later the door creaked opened and the face I was met with was laced with a mixture of surprise and confusion.

_I love you too, Bella. Always._

"Bella? What are you doing here? It's almost midnight…" Edward's voice was groggy with sleep and he dragged his hand through his unruly hair. He was dressed in only pajama bottoms and this was the first time ever that I didn't even care that he was shirtless. I was not here for his body. I was here for _him_. "You look… awful." Edward didn't even try to cover up the truth and somehow that made me feel a little better. I needed someone to tell me the truth of how things were, and not just spew crap about things getting better with time. I needed someone to tell me exactly how it was without covering it up with fairytale promises.

I needed the Edward that hated me, because he wouldn't cover it up.

He had yet to close the door in my face. I took that as a good sign.

_Just. Say. Hello._

"Hello," I whispered just as another round of tears fell down my cheeks.

His eyes widened even more and I thought at first that it was because he wasn't used to having random girls break down on his porch in the middle of the night, but then he opened the door a little wider and stepped aside.

"Why don't you come in," he said in a soft tone.

I swallowed back a sob and nodded.

_Just say hello._


	30. Finders Keepers

**A/N:** I won't bore you with details on why this chapter is out so late, because it doesn't matter.

This is the second to last chapter of the story, it's a fairly short one, because it's only a bridge over to the final chapter. The next, and final, chapter (which is already written) will be up shortly.

Enjoy!

* * *

**DREAMCATCHE**

**Chapter 29 – "Finders Keepers" **

"Life is short, don't waste time worrying about what people think of you. Hold on to the ones that care, in the end they will be the only ones there."_**  
**_ ~ _anonymous_

* * *

Edward scratched his neck as he closed the door behind him.

"Do you want anything? Coffee? Tea? A whiskey?" he joked awkwardly and I shook my head.

"No thank you," I said quietly as I followed him into the living room. "Are your parents asleep?"

He looked at me from over his shoulder and shook his head.

"Dad's at work, Mom's in Port Angeles," he replied. "Why? Is that why you came? You wanted to talk to them?" I shook my head and he turned around fully to face me. "You came to see me," he said, making it as a statement. Not a question.

I gnawed on my bottom lip and shrugged. His eyes widened as he dragged his hands through his hair.

"Seriously, Swan, do you realize it's the middle of the night? You can't go and breaking down on random people's porches in the middle of the night!" he sighed exasperated. "What the hell are you doing here?"

I didn't know what to answer him, there was no explanation that would have been an acceptable excuse for me being there. So I decided to tell the truth.

"I wanted to see you…" I replied in a shaky whisper.

His face contorted into something that looked like a mix between disgust and pity.

"Why _me_? I'm sorry about your brother, I really am, and I understand that you need a friend right now… and I just happened to live across the street…. But seriously, I'm not your friend. I don't know you, Hell, I don't even know who you are or where the hell you came from. I can't be there for you," he said apologetically.

It didn't matter how prepared I was for his reaction; it still did nothing to keep the shooting pain in my heart away. It felt as if he had stabbed my heart repeatedly with a rough-edged knife.

'_Just say hello'_, my ass.

He frowned, still with that apologetic look in his eyes, and it pissed me off.

"I'm sorry, I really am," he said softly. "But I really can't be there for you…"

Why did he have to keep saying that? Did he think I didn't hear him the first time? Did he have to keep rubbing it in, as if my wounds didn't hurt enough as it was without him putting salt in them.

I choked back a sob, and willed the tears, that were welling up in my eyes, not to fall.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I came here in the middle of the night, and disturbed your sleep," I said quietly, my voice empty and monotone. I turned back towards the door and I heard him sigh deeply.

"Bella, it's nothing personal, I just… I just don't know you, I don't know how to help you. I'm sorry, I really am," he said, almost pleadingly. "You can stay here if you want, I can call my mom and have her come home, maybe you would be more comfortable talking to her…? Or do you want me to call Alice or Rosalie?" he suggested.

I stopped, with my hand on the doorknob, and turned slowly to look at him.

"No, you don't have to do that," I mumbled. I met his gaze and frowned. "You say it's nothing personal, but of course it's personal. Everything about this is personal. You just don't know how deep it all goes… it _is_ personal… even for you, you just don't know it."

He gave me a confused look, and I didn't wait around for him to come up with a response to my cryptic remark. I quickly left the house and ran out into the cold night, across the street and back to my house.

I should have known better than to visit Edward.

The pain was even worse now.

And it was never going to get better.

* * * * *

Never had I slept as bad as I did that night. I tossed and turned, my mind going a mile a minute, never being able to just shut down and sleep. It was impossible to fall asleep, even with my extra-ordinary powers.

The next morning I crawled out of bed just because I had to. I felt icky and I needed a shower.

I went downstairs to the kitchen after my shower, and found my parents sitting by the kitchen table. They had a bunch of papers in front of them, and Dad kept sighing as he looked them over. Mom smiled weakly at me when I entered, but I didn't return the smile.

"Mind sitting down for a moment, Bella," Mom asked gently, pulling out the empty chair next to her. I sat down slowly. I looked at them and their serious expressions made my stomach flip.

"Who died?" I croaked, and not until the words were out did I realize what I had just said. Tears immediately welled up in Mom's eyes and Dad cleared his throat, looking back down at the papers again. "Sorry, bad joke," I mumbled and looked down at my lap.

"It's okay, Sweetie," Mom said and stroked my back. "We just wanted to talk to you about something…" She trailed off and looked over at my dad, as if he was going to explain it to me. But he kept his eyes down on the papers in front of him, pretending that we weren't even there.

Mom sighed and turned back to me.

"Your dad and I have been talking, and we've decided that we're moving back to Jacksonville," she explained. "Your dad has already been in contact with his old job, and he's more than welcome to come back. We'll be moving in a few days…"

I felt my throat close up, removing all access for the air to go down my lungs.

I stopped breathing completely. I didn't even bother to try.

When I thought my life couldn't get any worse, they threw me this curve ball. This was what I had feared the most. Moving away _now_ would ruin me. Who was I going to turn to? I had no one outside this town. I would lose the best friends a girl could ask for, and I would also lose my soulmate. _Again_.

How was I supposed to win Edward back if I wasn't even in the same town anymore? Let alone the same state, or even the same part of the country! Moving away now meant that I would never see him again. _Ever_. How was I supposed to live with something like that?

Edward might as well die too, the loss would be no different.

Maybe I should have jumped with Phil from the cliff…

I pushed my chair back and shook my head vehemently.

"I'm not moving. No," I refused.

"Sweetie, this isn't a discussion. This decision is final. We know this is hard for you, but this place holds too many memories… your grandmother and now your… _brother_." Her voice cracked on the last word, and it made my heart ache. She took a shuddering breath and looked at me pleadingly. "Please don't make this difficult, Bella, please understand why we're doing this."

I wanted nothing more than to yell and scream, and tell her that I refused to leave.

But I couldn't do that. Not when she was looking at me like that, and not when I knew where she was coming from. I may have lost a brother, but they had lost their _son_. Of course this place held too many bad memories to ever recover from.

I went back to my room, and threw myself on my bed. I didn't cry, kick or scream. I just lay there, staring into space, wondering how things managed to go so wrong, so quickly.

I don't know how long I laid in my bed like that, just staring into space, but I reached a point where I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to get out of the house.

I reached for my phone that lay on the nightstand, and sent a text to Alice. I asked her if she had time to see me and her car stopped in front of my house just fifteen minutes later. I said goodbye to my parents, before leaving the house and jogging down to Alice's idling car.

I climbed inside and she shot me a worried look before putting the car into gear, and driving off.

"What's wrong?" she asked, before shaking her head at herself and chuckling humorlessly. "Other than the obvious," she added with an apologetic smile.

"My parents just told me we're moving back to Jacksonville," I declared, getting straight to the point. There was no reason to beat around the bush, or sugarcoat this. It was what it was, and there was nothing I could do about it. I might as well just get this awkward conversation out of the way, especially since I was going to have to have it again with the others later. I could consider this my practice talk.

I glanced at Alice, and found her gaping at me. I must have taken her completely off guard, and the fact that she didn't pay any attention to the road anymore didn't escape my notice.

"Eh, Alice? Mind looking at the road instead of me? I don't think my parents are up for another funeral," I laughed nervously.

"Oh, sorry," she said, shaking her head to clear it. "But what are you saying? You're moving? When? Why?"

"The 'why' is pretty obvious, don't you think?" I replied. "As for the 'when'… my parents just said 'in a few days', so pretty soon, I guess…"

"Oh my god, what are we going to do? You can't move! That's not an option! We need you here… _I_ need you here." She looked at me and her face held a pained expression. "_Edward_ needs you here," she added.

"It's not up for negotiation," I sighed, slouching in the seat. "Besides, I want nothing more than to stay… despite everything that has happened. But I can't fight them on this. They lost their _son_, Alice, if they feel that they need to move, then I have to move with them."

"I can't believe you're giving up," she said, shaking her head.

"I'm not giving up, I just recognize a battle not worth fighting when I see one," I replied calmly.

"Yeah? So Edward means nothing to you? How about me and Rose? Or Jasper and Emmett? We all love you, you know," she argued. I sighed and looked at her.

"Alice, it's nothing personal. It's not like I want to move, but I can't put my parents through a fight like that… especially when I know I'm gonna lose in the end anyway," I argued quietly and she pouted, but remained silent.

We didn't drive to her house, which I had expected, but to Jasper's instead. I guess my next 'talk' came sooner rather than later.

Alice parked the car, and cut the engine, but she didn't move to get out. Instead she looked straight ahead with a blank expression. I waited for her to say something, but she didn't. She just sat there, staring into space.

I didn't say anything either, I just sat there too. Waiting her out.

After a couple of minutes she turned her head to me, and she looked all apologetic again. She was frowning, as if she knew that whatever she was about to say was not going to go on well with me.

"Just spit it out, Alice," I sighed.

"Jasper and I went to Port Angeles today," she said slowly, sounding quite reluctant, as if she didn't really want to tell me this. So, she went to Port Angeles. Big deal. Why was that important? Was she just trying to distract me from the new situation I was finding myself in? She must have sensed my confusion, because she added; "We… we went to see Riley."

I opened my mouth, but closed it again. I didn't know what to respond to that.

"You… eh… you went to see…Riley? Wha… why… eh… why would you do that?" I stuttered and she smiled crookedly, a sweet dimple showing in her cheek.

"Jasper wanted to talk to him?" she said with an awkward shrug, making it sound like a question. As if she wasn't really sure herself, why they had gone there.

"Talk to him about what? It's over, Alice! We're finished with him! Why can't you leave well enough alone?" I asked loudly, feeling more than frustrated with her.

"Let's go inside," she said, instead of answering me, as she opened her door.

I groaned loudly as I climbed out of the car, and followed her up to the house. She opened the front door without even knocking or ringing the doorbell. I guess she didn't need to have someone let her in, she practically lived there already, being Jasper's girlfriend and all.

I walked behind her up the stairs, and towards Jasper's room.

We found him sitting on his bed, playing mindlessly with his guitar. He smiled softly at us when we entered. He quirked an eyebrow as he glanced at Alice, and she nodded in response.

Jasper sighed and put his guitar away.

"I guess Alice told you, huh?" he said with a nervous chuckle, as he rose from the bed.

"Port Angeles. Really, Jasper?" I said, crossing my arms over my chest and ignoring his comment.

"Before you get upset, I want you to know that it wasn't just a random visit, I went there for a reason," he said as he walked over to his desk. He picked up a very familiar notebook and held it up for me to see. "I thought you might have wanted this back." I gaped at it and he smiled lazily at my reaction. "Yeah, I figured…"

He handed me the journal and I felt my eyes well up with tears.

"You got me my grandmother's journal back… but how?" I asked and looked at him in awe. "How did you even know I had lost it?" I couldn't remember telling him, or any of the others for that matter, that I had lost the book, so how did he know?

I flipped through the pages, and felt the old, written words with my fingertips.

It looked just the same as when I last saw it. Riley hadn't destroyed it or hurt it in any way.

"Let's just say that I have seen more of Riley than I wish I had. I told you about the connection that he had with Phil, and that it was strong, and that I could almost read his mind when we were at the hospital. You didn't have to tell me you'd lost it, but Riley's thoughts told me he had it," he explained.

"I… I don't know what to say," I whispered. I looked up from the book and smile softly at him. "Thank you, for doing this. For getting it back… I don't think I would have been able to face him again."

"You're very welcome," he smiled, "and just so you know, I haven't read it. I figured it was private." I sat down on the bed and Jasper smiled at me as he sat down next to me. "You're not mad are you?"

I shook my head and looked down at the journal on my lap.

"How could I be?" I asked. "You brought me back the most important memory I have of my grandmother… and the only thing that can help me figure out who I am."

"But we already know who you are," Alice argued softly as she sat down beside me.

Alice leaned her head against my shoulder on my side, and Jasper rested his chin on my shoulder on the other side. It felt nice, having them so close.

"I need to figure out why this is happening," I replied quietly. "Why it all feels so natural. Why I didn't even need to think how to defeat Riley, and if I was able to erase his memory, maybe I could also restore Edward's…"

"Why would you care about Edward, you're moving…," Alice mumbled.

"This book can help me get the old Edward back before I leave… he deserves to remember all the good things, that's the least I can do for him," I replied softly. I felt Jasper's chin leave my shoulder, and I looked up to meet his gaze.

"You're moving?" he echoed, and I nodded.

"My mom told me this morning, we'll be moving back to Jacksonville in a few days… apparently this place holds too many bad memories… and I can't blame them," I replied with a light shrug.

I prepared myself for another onslaught of 'you can't move'-arguments, but none came. Instead he smiled crookedly at me with a sad look in his eyes.

"We'll miss you," was all he said.

They were such simple words, but they still made my heart ache. Jasper was so good at reading people, he knew exactly what they needed to hear, and he knew that the last thing I needed to hear from him was arguments about me leaving. He knew that I needed them to understand, that there was nothing I could do about this situation. Neither did I want to, not right now.

During the hours I spent on my bed this morning, I had come to the conclusion that maybe a little distance could be a good thing. After everything that had happened since I came back to Forks, maybe I needed a little distance and distraction was what I needed, in order to move on.

I might be alone in Jacksonville, but maybe that was what I needed right now. My friends from Forks would always be there for me, I knew that. It didn't matter if I lived next door, or in Florida or in a deep cave in Siberia. They would always be there for me, no matter the distance.

And that was why it was easy for me to accept the fact that I was moving away.

I knew I would meet them again, so this wasn't goodbye, it was just 'see you later'.

"I will miss you guys too, but this isn't the end… it's not even the beginning," I said quietly, with a sad smile. I hugged the journal to my chest and rose from the bed. "I think I have some reading to do."


	31. As Fast as She Can

**A/N:** Since this is the last chapter (not counting the epilogue) of Dreamcatcher, I want to dedicate it to my fanfic-bestie, _Ailisraevyn_, because she's awesome. I don't know what I would do without our late night discussions about vampire scents, Jackson Rathbone and why we need to find my pink elephant. She is my muse and she is freakin awesome. Period.

And yes; there's still an _epilogue_ left after this. Then it's over. _Finito_.

_**Thank you guys so much for going on this journey with me, and hope you enjoy this last chapter.**_

* * *

**DREAMCATCHER**

**Chapter 30 – "As Fast As She Can" **

_**"This is not the end, it's not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."**__**  
**_ ~ _Winston Churchill_

* * *

_Dear Isabella,_

_It's been a week since you left Forks with your parents and your brother. I'm very saddened by this turn of events, and I'm so sorry I couldn't reason with your mother. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you, and help you on your journey._

_If you're reading this, it means I never got the chance to help you, but hopefully this journal will give you the insight you need to understand your ability and use it in the best ways possible._

_You have more power within you than you will ever know, and you are capable of doing things, and helping people, in ways you never would have imagined possible._

_You are good, and you are special, and don't ever let anyone convince you otherwise._

_You are more than just a Dreamcatcher, Isabella._

_Help the ones you love, and stay true to who you are._

_Love, Grandma._

* * * * *

I traced the words with my fingers, tears were blurring my sight, making it impossible for me to make out the words anymore. The letter from my grandma was written on the very last page of the journal, and it was dated four years ago, exactly seven days after we had moved away from Forks.

I had spent the last few hours reading every single page of the journal, and I had found grandma to be right. I understood know. So many unanswered questions had been answered. The last piece of the puzzle had finally found its place on the bigger picture, and I finally knew who I was.

She had been right. I was special.

Even more so than I ever thought possible.

Maybe there was hope for me yet.

* * * * *

"_The seventh daughter and direct descendent of Katherine Swan, the first Dreamcatcher, will hold more power than any other Dreamcatcher. She will hold the power of both worlds. Light and dark. Good and evil. Night and day._

_The Seventh Daughter holds the power to affect people even in a waken state. She can manipulate their minds and hearts, with just a simple touch of their skin. She can draw power, as well as give power, if needed. The Seventh Daughter is virtually indestructible, and can't be drained or contained in a Catcher's Nightmare."_

* * * * *

It went on and on about what the Seventh Daughter could, and could not do. Apparently the Seventh Daughter was beyond being affected by most things other Dreamcatcher did to her, and she could use her ability in ways that no other Dreamcatcher could. All she had to do was tap into her inner power, the inner power which she couldn't even access until she had made a real choice between Good and Evil. The choice would leave her filled with newfound power and someone like Rosalie would sense it, and get the feeling of her being an overcharged battery.

The more things they listed in the journal about the Seventh Daughter, the clearer it all became and the more sense it made.

_I was the Seventh Daughter._

I continued flipping through the pages, trying to find a light in the dark. If I was the Seventh Daughter, was there something I could do about Edward? My _soulmate_…

* * * * *

"_To find your soulmate is a beautiful thing for any Dreamcatcher. The bond of a soulmate can never be broken; once it's there, it's there forever. The soulmate principle works beyond a Dreamcatcher's ability, it's only enhancing what was already there before the ability was brought into the equation. Never let your ability go before your love."_

* * * * *

I wiped away my tears as I re-read the part for the tenth time.

There were only so many times I could read the word 'soulmate' before my already broken heart exploded into a million pieces. There was no word in the English dictionary that was harder for me to hear, or read, than that one. Seeing it in writing in a book about my ability was like being slapped in the face. The book was taunting me, giving me hopes about an issue that I could never resolve. No matter what I did…

_Seventh Daughter._

I bit my lip and tried to contain the feeling of hope that grew in my chest by the thought.

Maybe all things weren't lost after all…

* * * * *

It's been four days since my encounter with Riley at the cemetery, and three days since I told my friends I was moving. During these past few days I had managed to pack all my belongings into boxes, and now my room felt just as empty as when we first came back to Forks.

I still couldn't believe it was all over. We were really moving.

The moving company was coming over early tomorrow, and my parents and I would leave soon thereafter. This was my last night in Forks, and I knew I had to make the most of it.

For the past few nights I had been careful not to catch anyone's dream, because I was still afraid of draining someone. I kept going back to the empty sanctuary, trying to figure out a way that I could help Edward remember. But I didn't know how. The journal hadn't explained how to reverse the effects of memory loss; it was almost as if no one had encountered that problem before.

I figured that memories were a part of the subconscious, and if I could alter his subconscious maybe I could alter his memories too, and make him remember. And by entering his dreams, I could alter his subconscious. Easy as pie. Right?

I pondered this for a long time, and it wasn't until I re-read one simple line from the journal, that I finally made up my mind.

"_You can never drain your soulmate."_

That must mean I could enter Edward's dreams without hurting him, and even if it didn't mean that, maybe it was worth the risk anyway? I could always hope that I would get some sort sign of when I had gone too far, and get out before I hurt him.

Was it worth the risk? Yes, it was.

Even if I wouldn't be able to get his memory back, at least I would get to say goodbye.

I climbed into bed, I had already changed into my most comfortable pajamas, and closed my eyes. It was already after one a.m, so hopefully he would already be asleep too.

I took a deep breath and felt my body plunge, and when I opened my eyes I found myself in a dark place. I nodded to myself as I looked around; entering his dream had been way easier than I thought it would be. I shouldn't have been surprised though, seeing as how attuned to him I was now. I knew the risks I was taking by coming here, but I couldn't help it. This was my last night in Forks, and it was my last chance of ever seeing Edward again.

_My _Edward.

And I couldn't help the feeling of excitement that washed over me as I took in my surroundings. It was a weird, but pleasant, feeling to be in Edward's dream. This was his subconscious in it's purest form. Whatever I was going to witness now was a part of him that no one else would ever see. It made me feel even more connected with him.

As I looked around I realized I didn't have the first clue on how to go about this whole thing. Yes, I was going to alter his subconscious, but how exactly was I going to do that? Could I walk right up and grab him while yelling in his face to remember who I was?

No, I didn't think that was how things worked. I figured I would leave him alone until I knew what to do, maybe it would just come to me when the time was right. Instincts and all that, just like when I drained Riley.

But as I kept looking around, I realized that was the least of my problems.

I couldn't alter someone's subconscious if he wasn't even there.

_Where is Edward?_

I knew this was his dream, because I could feel his essence, but he was nowhere to be found. I didn't know where I was exactly. All I knew was that he wasn't there with me, as he should have been.

I was walking through a highly wooded area. The sky above me was dark, but shining with a million stars, and it lit up a path before me. The further I walked the weirder the scenery became.

The path on which I walked, had suddenly hardwood floors in some places, and out there in the woods I could see a beautiful dining room table, which was nicely set with candles and with plates full of food. The table was lit up by a beautiful chandelier that hung from one of the trees above it.

I looked the other way, and saw more strange things in the woods. I saw random pieces of clothing hanging on a branch, and a side table with a few books on it. A TV was on; showing nothing but static, and an empty recliner was facing it.

The strangest thing of all was the busted window, which wasn't attached to anything at all. It appeared to be flowing in thin air.

I looked down on the ground and noticed that the hardwood floors had been replaced by kitchen tile. I picked up my pace, and tried not to stumble on anything.

"_Where are you? You should be here…"_

I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard Edward's voice echo through the forest.

He was here. I knew it.

I quickened up my pace, almost tripping on a rock in my hurry to find Edward, but I managed to catch myself at the last second by grabbing a branch. I noticed that the kitchen tile was gone from the ground, and it had not been replaced by the hardwood floors again. The ground was back to being nothing but a dirty trail in the woods.

I looked around and noticed that the wood itself wasn't as cluttered with random crap anymore either. The further I got the fewer items I could see, until there was nothing to see but trees and bushes.

It was nothing but a forest again. Nothing weird about it at all.

"_Where are you? Aren't you coming? Have you given up on me?"_

Who was he talking too? Why couldn't I see him? Why wasn't he here?

I tripped again, and this time I did fall to the ground because there was nothing for me to grab to keep me from falling. A purple flower caught my eye and I looked up in confusion, wondering where all the trees had gone, when I realized where I was.

The meadow.

_Our meadow._

I slowly stood up and dusted myself off - even though it was hardly necessary.

I had stumbled into our perfect meadow. Our sanctuary. Our haven.

Not only that, but Edward was there. I could see him pace back and forth in the middle of the meadow, pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked frustrated, but I scarcely notice. All I could think about was how my heart swelled by the realization that the Sanctuary was still a part of him, though it was buried deep inside. Maybe that meant that he still loved me too, only he didn't realize it.

I stayed by the tree line and watched him pace around the meadow. He didn't seem to know what to do with himself; he appeared to be bothered and distressed about something.

"_Where are you? You're supposed to be here."_

His voice sounded even more distraught now, and it took all my will power not to interfere.

_Let him be. This is his dream. It's not reality. He may be upset here. But it's not real._

"_Where are you…" _he trailed off, without making it sound like a question and he looked oddly confused now. It looked like he was going to say something else, but then he forgot what or didn't know how to phrase it. "_Why aren't you here?" _he sighed. "_Please come… please…"_

He plopped down on the ground and rested his arms against his bended knees. He was frowning in concentration and I took a tentative step forward.

"_I must have forgotten something… or you did…" _

His words made my heart swell again and I had to put a hand to my chest to make sure it wasn't going to bust through my chest.

"_You should be here… there is no sense being here without you… where are you?"_

I had no idea what he was talking about, but the obvious distress in his voice pained me to hear. It hurt to see him like this, and a part of me told me to just leave him be. Maybe this was one of those dreams that he had to figure out on his own. Maybe I would mess him up even more by interfering now? The subconscious was a fragile thing, after all, and his in particular was one I didn't want to mess with… no matter how tempting it was.

_Then why the hell did you come here?_

I sighed at myself, hating my own subconscious for making sense. I came here for a reason, and I had to try. I couldn't chicken out now just because I was afraid of hurting him. He deserved to be fought for. He was my soulmate, and I couldn't just let him forget about me. He deserved to remember us.

I sat down in front of him, a few feet away. I crossed my legs Indian-style and I couldn't help but smile at the sight of Edward in our meadow. Here I thought I would never see him in the Sanctuary again, and he comes here all on his own? How ironic.

My body ached for me to touch him, and my heart ached for him to love me.

"_I love you, Edward Cullen…" _

The words rolled easily off my tongue, it wasn't even a conscious act on my part. It was as if the words was the most natural thing in the world for me to say. I guess, in a way, it was. There was nothing more natural for me than to love Edward. It was as easy as breathing. And just as important for my survival.

He slowly lifted his head, his eyes staring right at me. The way he was looking at me made me wonder what he was seeing. Did he see me? Or did he just see the empty meadow?

"_I know…" _he whispered, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

I frowned in confusion and surprise.

Had he heard me?

The weakest of smiles graced his lips as he looked at me. The distressed look in his eyes was fading away, and it was as if he came back to life right in front of me. The spark I had come to know and love was lightning up his eyes.

_My Edward._

He held out his hand to me, but I just stared at it. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. I couldn't touch him – it would hurt him. It could _kill_ him.

The weak smile grew into that beautiful crooked smile that made his entire face look magical. It felt like it had been forever since I had seen that smile grace his face, and the sight took my breath away.

"_I've been waiting for you forever, I thought you'd never come…" _he murmured quietly, just an octave away from being a whisper.

That broke my resolve and I brought my hand up to meet his. Our fingers intertwined and I was overwhelmed by the sensation of our skins touching. It felt like sparks of electricity and cool ocean waves flowed between us all at once. I couldn't pinpoint the feeling to one. All I knew was that it was perfect. It felt good. This was us. Connected.

I felt tears spring to my eyes and I choked back a sob.

"_I got here as fast as I could,"_ I whispered back, with tears falling down my cheeks.

He smiled at me and I smiled back through my tears.

"_I told you… all you had to do was say hello,"_ he whispered.

"_You… you really know me? You know who I am?"_ I stuttered in a whisper, not wanting to let myself believe it.

"_I know you and I love you,"_ he whispered back. He leaned forward and tucked away a piece of stray hair from my face, with his free hand. "_Subconsciously I will always know who you are… you are my world, Isabella Swan, my soulmate. And I will always love you. Don't ever doubt that."_

"_You will always love me… subconsciously… but not… consciously? Is that what you're saying?"_ I whispered, and I almost wanted to close my eyes and put my hands to my ears. I didn't want to hear his answer. I hiccupped because of the tears, and his smile faded.

"_Consciously, I still don't know you… but I like you, I just haven't figured you out yet, and if you just give me time-"_ he whispered pleadingly, but I cut him off before he got to finish.

"_I have no more time, Edward," _I whispered, and I was beyond caring about how pathetic and weak my voice sounded. _"I'm moving back to Jacksonville tomorrow… this is our last night. That's why I'm here, that's why I'm visiting you…to say goodbye…"_

He stood up abruptly and I almost whimpered at the loss of his hand in mine. He began pacing back and forth, smashing the purple flowers under his feet.

"_But you can't move… you can't! You're my world. My soulmate. Do you even understand what that means? You can't leave! I know I don't know you in the real world, but please… give me time! Fight for me, Bella!" _His voice rose with each word and it broke my heart to hear him say those things. "_I'm stuck in my own head, only remembering you in my dreams. Do you know how painful that is? To remember what I have said and done to you during the day, and not being able to take it all back? I'm trapped in my own mind, with no means of getting out. I need you here, Bella, I need you… you can't give up on me… give me time, please!"_

"_I'm sorry, Edward,"_ I whispered.

He stopped pacing and stared at me as if I had grown a second head. He looked so defeated and broken. As if his entire world had come crashing down on him, leaving nothing but destruction and desolation in its wake.

This was our end. There was nothing left for us to save.

"_I love you, Bella, I will always love you. Until the end of time and beyond. But I beg you, please… fight for us…"_

I slowly stood up looked at him. The sadness and despair I was feeling was clearly mirrored in his face. This was as painful as it would ever get. No pain in the world could compare to what we were going through right now.

"_I can't fight anymore, Edward. I've lost too much already. I have to let you go… I just… I came here to help you remember… but you already do, you just don't know it… and maybe that's enough?"_

His face contorted in pain and I wanted nothing more than to take back my words. But I couldn't do that, because that meant I would only have to do this all over again later.

"_I'm sorry,"_ I whispered again.

"_You may have lost your faith in us, but I haven't. We're called soulmates for a reason, Bella. One way or another, we'll end up together. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but some day. You are my world, Bella, and I can't give up on the world."_

I smiled sadly at him as I took a step towards him.

"_I love you, forever,"_ I said.

"_I love you, forever and beyond," _he replied simply.

I took the last few steps needed before I was in his arms.

We clung to each other as if our lives depended on it, and I guess, in a way, they were. He whispered 'I love you' over and over in my ear, as if he was trying to convince me of it.

As if I didn't already know.

As if I couldn't feel the love rolling off his body in waves.

He pulled back and put his hands on either side of my face. He looked me seriously in the eyes and I felt my knees grow weak.

This was _my _Edward.

"_This isn't goodbye, so don't act like it is,"_ he said and I smiled sadly in response.

This was goodbye, I knew it was, but that didn't mean I was going to fight him on this. If he wanted to hold on hope, then I would let him. There was no reason for me to make him more miserable than I already had.

He leaned in and pressed his lips softly against mine.

"_I love you,"_ he breathed, as he leaned his forehead against mine.

"_I love you more than you can even imagine…and that's why I have to do this,"_ I whispered back.

We looked into each other's eyes, seeing the depths of each other's souls. _For the last time_.

He pressed his lips to mine again and my eyes fluttered close.

I felt my knees grow weak again, and I was losing my footing. It felt as if the ground was disappearing from under my feet. I opened my eyes and was prepared to steady myself by grabbing a better hold on Edward, but instead of seeing Edward, I found myself staring up at the ceiling of my bedroom.

The dream was over.

* * * * *

"I can't believe you're leaving already," Alice whimpered, as she hugged me for the umpteenth time in ten minutes.

"I know… but it's for the best. This place holds too many bad memories," I replied with a sad smile. "Maybe a little distance and distraction will be good for me…"

"What about the good memories?" Jasper asked and I shot him a look that said 'don't go there', but he didn't seem to be in the mood of listening to me right now. "You don't think the good triumphs the bad?"

I sighed deeply as I let go of Alice, I wasn't intending on answering Jasper, and it turns out I didn't need to either, because Mom called from the car.

"Sweetie, are you ready? We have to go now," she called.

"Yeah, I'll be right there," I called back and turned back to my friends. "I guess this is it."

"You sure we can't convince you to try to convince your parents to stay? We're gonna be lost without you," Rosalie said with a gentle smile. Emmett was standing next to her, with an arm around her shoulders. I could tell he was trying his best to act all blasé about me leaving, but his eyes betrayed him. He was more upset about this than he wanted to let on, and it pained me for doing that to him.

"Yes, I'm sure," I replied with a nod.

"But we'll stay in touch, right? In this day and age with Facebook and everything it's harder to try to not stay in touch than it is to stay in touch, and you'll come visit… right? Summer is just around the corner and-" Emmett rambled and Rosalie quieted him down by stroking his chest. He sighed deeply and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Don't worry, Emmett, I'm not gonna forget about you," I smiled.

"Speaking of people who won't forget…" Jasper said and nodded towards the house across the street. We all followed his gaze and saw Edward stand awkwardly on the porch of his house. He had his hands deep in his pockets, it looked like he didn't really know what to do with himself.

"You should say good bye to him," Jasper said, nudging me in the back.

"I already did," I replied quietly. They didn't know about my meeting with Edward last night, and I wasn't planning on telling them either. I didn't want to have a lecture about how much I could have hurt him by seeing him. Their last memory of me shouldn't be of me draining Edward – even if that wasn't technically possible anyway.

Jasper nudged me again and gave me a pointed look.

"Go," was all he said and I sighed.

"Fine," I muttered.

I left my friends behind and walked across the street. Edward straightened up as I came closer.

"So you're really leaving, huh," he said when I reached him, and I nodded.

"Yeah, I really am," I smiled weakly. "So are you gonna miss your crazy neighbor who leaves creepy notes in your locker and breaks down on your porch in the middle of the night?" I forced myself to laugh, even though it wasn't that funny, and Edward grimaced at my words.

I guess he didn't find it funny either.

"I'm sorry I was such a jerk," he apologized quietly, as he shuffled his feet. "I just didn't know you. You were just there and I didn't know where the hell you came from… it took me off guard and I didn't know what to make of it…"

"It's okay. It's totally understandable," I replied with a light shrug.

"So… will you come visit? Emmett is going to break down like a damn baby if you don't," he joked with a chuckle. Mom called out to me just then and we both turned towards the sound.

"_Bella, come on, we have to go!"_

I sighed and turned my gaze back to Edward.

"I guess that's my cue," I said.

He nodded and held out his hand, I looked at it for a moment before looking back up at his face. His face was completely serious, and I wondered if he really wanted me to shake his hand. He quirked an eyebrow at me, as if he had heard my unspoken question.

_Oh, to Hell with it._

I grabbed his hand and the contact was like being electrocuted. The sparks and the waves were back, and as I stared into Edward's eyes I could see a familiar spark in them too.

His lips grew into an amused, almost teasing, smile.

"_I'll be waiting for you, no matter how long it takes. I'll be waiting for you,"_ he whispered with so much emotion in his voice. My jaw dropped and he winked at me before letting my go of my hand. My hand fell to my side and a smile formed on my face. _"I'll see you in my dreams."_

"_I'll be there as fast as I can,"_ I whispered back.

_**The End**_


	32. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

I traced his jaw line with my finger, smiling softly as I sighed in contentment.

_He's so beautiful._

He chuckled lightly and kissed my finger when I traced his lips.

"What is going on in that pretty little head of yours?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"If I tell you, I'll have to kill you," I replied, gazing into his eyes.

"What a nice way to go," he murmured as he leaned forward to touch his lips to mine. I moaned as soon as we made contact, and I could feel him smirk against my lips. He knew exactly what kind of power he had on me, and he didn't waste any time by not using it to his advantage.

We kissed softly and romantically for a while, before he leaned back.

He had his arm around me, resting it on the back of the bench we were sitting on, slowly tracing circles on my shoulder with his finger.

"I can't believe you brought me to Paris…" I said, still in shock as I stared at the clear view we had of the Eiffel Tower in front of us. He chuckled and hugged me to him. I leaned my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes. "Alice will kill me when I tell her about this, she always nags about wanting to go to Europe and visit the fashion capital of the world… and here I am, not caring about any of it because I'm with you."

"So where do you want to go?" he asked, kissing my head.

"The moon?" I suggested with a smile. "I can only imagine how beautiful the world would look from up there…"

"The moon, huh? I think I can make that happen," he replied with a somewhat smug tone.

I smiled as I nuzzled my face into his chest. _He even smells beautiful_. How could I pay any attention to the beautiful sight of Paris when I had his strong arms around me, with his wonderful scent in my nose and his kisses on my head? If I had died right then and there, I would have died happy.

He stroked my cheek and I could see him smile, even with my eyes closed.

"Open your eyes, love," he whispered. I turned my head up so the first thing I would see when I opened my eyes would be his. He smiled and kissed me chastely on the lips. "So, is it as beautiful as you imagine it would be?" he asked. I was too lost in his eyes to know what he was talking about, so I just nodded. He chuckled and kissed me again. "You're not even looking."

"I'm looking at you and there is nothing else I want to spend my time looking at."

"You wanted to see the world."

"And I'm looking at it," I replied simply, which earned me an eye roll and an amused smile from him.

"Look," he said and nodded to something above us.

I rolled my eyes in return, and acted like I was doing him a huge favor by doing what he asked me to. I turned my head and looked at the Eiffel Tower… at least that was what I had expected to see.

But the Eiffel Tower was gone. We weren't in Paris anymore.

I turned my gaze back at him, feeling my eyes well up with tears.

"You… you brought me to the Moon," I said with a shaky voice, feeling overwhelmed by the large wave of love that washed over me.

"Anything for you, love," he replied simply, as if it wasn't a big deal at all. As if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to create the moon just for me, so I could see the world.

But I couldn't care less about looking back at planet Earth. My world was standing right before me with a smile just for me.

I threw my arms around his neck and he caught me, spinning me around. My light laughter and his chuckles blended together into music as it echoed into space.

I couldn't believe I was here.

_And I'm not talking about the moon._

It had been six months since my family moved away from Forks, and I hadn't been back there since I had left.

I kept regular contact with my friends. I texted Alice and Rose on a daily basis and I talked on the phone with Jasper every night. He didn't like texting, he thought it was too impersonal. Every once in a while I got a text from Emmett too, but we mostly kept up to date with each other through the others.

And I met Edward every single night.

It took a few nights for him to explain to me what his new deal was, but I finally understood.

He wasn't a Dreamcatcher anymore; he was a lucid dreamer.

He had his own dreams now, but he was always aware that he was having them. He could alter his own dreams in the same way he once could alter others. It was as if he was hi-jacking his own dreams now.

Basically, there was nothing supernatural about him anymore. He was just like any other person, since anyone could have lucid dreams, you didn't need to have any supernatural powers to have them.

Ever since Edward was drained by Riley, he had been stuck in his own head with nothing but his dreams. He had waited for me there, thinking I would visit him. Once he was asleep, he remembered everything about the day he had just had. He remembered all the awful things he had said and done to me, how he kept pushing me away. All because he didn't know me in his waken life.

_He also remembered the CD. _

There had been music playing when I got to the Sanctuary where he was already waiting for me, when we celebrated our six month anniversary. We celebrated the anniversary in the best way possible…

We let the CD create the background music for when we made love for the first time.

Yes, we did_ that_ in the Sanctuary too.

I know people say they see fireworks when they climax, but I think we were the only ones able to say that and mean it literally. The dark sky that had a million shining stars had been lit up by the most beautiful fireworks. And we had just laid there naked in each other's arms, watching it as we both tried to catch our breaths.

Who knew that a simple CD would end up meaning so much to us. It was as if it was our personal soundtrack now, and he told me over and over again how much he loved it. He told me he listened to it every night so he could fall asleep easier. He said it was almost as if I was there with him when he listened to it.

When I threw caution to the wind and touched him the last day in Forks, I couldn't imagine the effect it would have. He was finally not stuck in his head anymore – he could remember everything now, even when he was awake. I didn't know I held that kind of power, that I was able save him.

Edward had finally been able to tell Esme and Carlisle that he knew he was adopted, and they had told him the whole story. They told him about how sick his mother had been, and how she had asked Carlisle to take care of him. Esme told him that the Dreamcatcher gene had been genetic from his mother's side, and everything Esme knew about it was from what she had read in the books that his real mother had left behind.

Edward's relationship with his parents didn't change after that. One would think that a revelation like that would have brought them apart, but instead it brought them closer together. There were no secrets between them now and there were no hard feelings. Edward understood why his parents hadn't told him, and he didn't blame them. How could he? They brought him home, raising him and loving him as if he was their own flesh and blood. And as far as he was concerned, they were his real parents. He couldn't care less about them not being his biological parents. They raised him, and loved him. How could he ever ask for more?

Everything was finally out in the open. Edward was fine, and no longer prisoner in his own mind. He could remember everything and everything was good…

And how exactly did that happen?

Apparently, _I _happened.

All I had to do in order to 'fix' him was to catch his dream and reconnect us, just like I had done my very last night in Forks. One visit from me was all it took for his mind to get released from its confinement.

So, now, we met every night in his dreams. We always met in the Sanctuary, and we had only been creating new places for ourselves for the past couple of months, just to check out what we could do when we combined my power with his 'ability' to alter his dreams.

And apparently, Edward could create the moon.

_My world can create the world._

"Isn't it beautiful?" he murmured in my ear.

"Not as beautiful as you," I replied with a content sigh as I gazed back at the world he had created for me.

"That's my line," he smiled as he stepped behind me and wrapped his arms around me. I leaned my head back against his chest with a content smile on my face. "Close your eyes," he whispered in my ear, and I did as he asked. "Bella, I love you. With every fiber of my body; I love you. And there is nobody in this world that I would want to spend my life with more than you. I want to spend every waken minute with you, and every minute in my sleep. I don't ever want to part from you."

"I feel the same way," I whispered, without opening my eyes.

"Then please… open your eyes… see the world… and give me a yes," he breathed in my ear.

I opened my eyes and looked up at the sky, seeing the world.

I gasped and brought my hand to my chest, tears immediately filling my eyes.

There it was. Planet Earth. With the most beautiful message ever. Just for me.

Planet Earth looked just like in the movies. Big, round and beautiful. But there was a difference. Nobody who had been standing on the moon in the movies had looked back at the Earth and seeing what I was currently seeing.

It was as if Edward had chosen specifically what cities to light up their every corner, and what cities that were supposed to stay dark. From the Moon's point of view, you could make out two single words, that were formed by the city lights.

_Marry Me._

There was no question mark.

I didn't need to think about it even for a second. I didn't care that I was still in High School, that we were both so young. I already knew that Edward was the one I wanted to spend my life with. He was made for me. _Literally_. There was no reason for us not to make it as official to the world as it already was for us.

This was forever.

I turned in his embrace, and he waited patiently for me to answer, even though he already knew what I was going to say.

He brought my left hand up to his lips and kissed it – and I saw something on my finger that sparkled. I gaped at it and he smiled.

"I will do this all over again when we finally see each other in the waking world too… but until then, you'll have to settle to wear that ring here…" he smiled, kissing the finger that held my new, sparkly friend. It was a beautiful, old-fashioned diamond ring. It was timeless. It was perfect.

I loved it.

"It was my birth mother's… Esme told me that it had been passed down in generations. It was one of the few things my mother left for me before she died," Edward explained softly.

I looked up at him with a soft smile.

"I love you, Edward Cullen, and I can't wait to spend eternity with you."

He smiled as he put a gentle hand over my heart, while gazing into my eyes with so much love that it left me breathless. He took a deep breath and smiled his wonderful crooked smile.

"You had me at hello."

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

Thank you all so much for sticking with the story 'til the end.

I especially want to thank my dear friend, **Ailisraevyn,** for pre-reading and for being my cheerleader. I can't believe I managed to go this long without her and her support. She's awesome, and you guys should really go check out her story, _Beautifully Sacred_. Show her the love she most definitely deserve.

_Dreamcatcher _was my first serious attempt at writing a fanfiction, and it was also my very first attempt to write something "serious" in English. I have learnt a lot by doing it, and I'm very thankful for the experience.

Many of you have asked if there is going to be a sequel, and I'm sad to say that there won't be. There simply isn't anything more to say. This was Bella's story about how she came to understand her power and how she found love. There is nothing more to say about it.

I will probably go back and edit and re-work the story at some point, since I'm now painfully aware of all the mistakes I have made. So if you guys are interested to read the 'remastered' and 'beta'ed' version of Dreamcatcher – put me on author alert, and you guys will know when it's done :-)

Again, thank you guys so, so much for sticking with the story.

I couldn't ask have asked for a better audience. You guys rock, and I owe you all!

_Sweet dreams_ _;-)_

- ocdmess


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